Soaring Through the Sky
by Anabelle9
Summary: Kiki is returning to Koriko after she left six years ago. Now a master witch, she goes back to tell the one person she loves how she feels. But what if she's too late? What if there was no way to tell him? And what are the dreams she keeps having about him? Rated T for some language.
1. Chapter 1: Home

******Hi! I'm Anabelle. Some of you may already know me by my Spirited Away fanfics. Now, I wanted to make one for "Kiki's Delivery Service." This is one of my all-time favorite Miyazaki films (other than Spirited Away). I hope you enjoy it and reviews are always helpful! Thanks!**

**Chapter 1: Home**

Flying. I was flying high in the sky, soaring through the clouds. I couldn't believe it had been seven years since I first came to Koriko. It was hard settling in at first, but Osono and her husband were so kind to me. They gave me a place to call home. I was treated like family, but as a member of it, I also had to work.

Osono's bakery was the family business. Every day I would sit there for hours and wait for customers to flood in. Sometimes, though, they didn't come for bread. They came to see me. And of course, Jiji, my black cat. They needed us to make a delivery for them. And as always, I was happy to do so.

My means of income was becoming a delivery girl. Jiji and I would soar through the city, bringing gifts and packages to wherever they needed to go. Only a few short months after I had first arrived did I have regular customers. My first year of training was a success.

But after returning home, I realized there were many things I didn't know about being a witch. Flying, of course, was the one thing every witch needed to know how to do. Having a black cat was the other. But after watching my mom make potions the way she did, I learned there were other talents I could have portrayed than just flying.

When I returned home, my mother taught me some of the potions she knew. I had become so skilled at curing illnesses that my mom said I was becoming better than her. By the time I had turned sixteen, I was already a master witch.

On becoming a master witch, I didn't have to wear that old, dark dress anymore. I did, of course, keep it as a reminder of my time in Koriko, but I went to town and bought myself a lovely white dress and used the red ribbon that I wore in my hair as a belt.

"Kiki, we have to go to Lilly's first, okay?" Jiji had complained the whole ride down that he needed to see Lilly. When we first came to Koriko, Jiji had had an attraction to the neighbor's cat. It didn't take long before they became Koriko's very own Romeo and Juliet. Together, they raised four kittens, Jin, Miki, Suzu and Eiko. Lilly and their children visited us lots of times before, but it had been quite some time since either had seen one another. Jin returned with us back home to learn how to become a witch's cat. He had yet to find a witch in need of a black cat, and he was becoming older by the day. At this rate, only his children would be able to become a witch's cat.

"Don't worry, Jiji," I assured him, "we'll get to see Lilly and your other children."

It had been almost seven years since I first landed upon Koriko, and I had just returned. I wondered if anyone would remember me. I was wearing a completely different dress, my hair was much longer than before, and I was seven years older. At least one person would have to have remembered me.

As I spotted the city that floated on waves, I knew I was there. Home. My home. Everyone there made it a special place to live in. I had made so many great friends, but there was one person in particular that made Koriko a special place to live in. Tombo.

Tombo never gave up on being there for me. He tried his best to impress me, and sometimes it worked. He was the main reason I was coming back.

Ever since I could remember, Tombo had always had eyes for me. Every time we were together, he would blush or become nervous. I didn't want us to be anything but friends for quite some time. But now that I was older, I realized that I was pushing my feelings away. Tombo made me feel so safe, and I was only pushing him away. I hoped that he would forgive me.

I ignored everyone I saw down at the port and continued up to the clock tower. It hadn't change at all. Of course, they needed to rebuild the top after the incident with the Spirit of Freedom, but other than that it was the same old clock tower.

I looked down and saw so many new faces. Everyone seemed just as happy as they used to be. I looked everywhere and soon saw Osono's bakery. Smiling, I flew as fast as I could down to the small shop on the corner. There were many customers entering and exiting the shop. It seemed that business was doing fine during my time away.

I landed on the rock road and held my broom in my hand. No one had seen me fly down, and when they finally saw me with a broom, they just became confused and walked along. I opened the door slowly and walked in. A little girl was at the cash register taking money and placing them in their rightful spots and handing back change. An older man was bringing out bread to show to the customers what they can purchase.

I walked up to the counter and the little girl smiled. She seemed to be too young to have gotten a job here, so I knew straight away that this was Osono's daughter, Kimi. She had grown into a beautiful young girl since the last time I saw her. Kimi was only a few inches tall and now, she was only a foot shorter than me.

"Hi," Kimi said, "what can I get you?"

"Actually," I responded, "I came here to see your mother, Osono." She understood and went to the back to fetch her. It had been years since I last stepped foot in the bakery. Not much had changed. Only the_**Kiki's Delivery Service**_sign was removed since I no longer worked here. They may need to put it back out though, since I plan on staying.

"There she is, Mommy!" I turned around and saw the little girl pointing at me, and her mother staring. She lowered her daughter's finger and said, "Be nice, Kimi. It's not polite to point at people."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about her, Osono," I said, "Kimi is only a child." Osono looked at me with confusion. Obviously I had changed too much, because she didn't recognize who I was.

"I'm sorry, have we met before?" I placed my broomstick upright and Jiji climbed up and sat on my shoulder, along with his son, Jin. It took her only a second to remember the little witch girl that had come to her bakery seven years ago.

**It's a bit short, but as the chapters go on, they will continue to grow longer and have more detail. Kiki has grown so much since her last visit almost no one recognizes her! I really hope you all like it. There will be more to come, but I am in the middle of one of my other fanfics already. Until then, please read, review, PM, etc. Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: Familiar Faces

******Hey! Okay, this chapter is really short, and I'm sorry for that, but this one is just to get Kiki settled in. I'm sure you all know what'll happen with Kiki and Osono, but I hope the ending comes as a surprise to you! Thanks for the reviews I got so far, I hope there are more to come and please enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Familiar Faces**

"Ki-Kiki?" She said in shock. I nodded and Osono came running towards me to give me a hug. It had been such a long time since I saw her. Kimi, though, seemed to be puzzled as to how her mother knew who I was.

"Mommy, who is she?" She asked. Osono turned around and bent down to Kimi's height.

"Remember the stories I told you about the witch, Kiki, and her black cat?" Kimi nodded. She told her the stories about Jiji and me? Jiji and I had made many memories here, and Osono told them to Kimi? It was so sweet.

"Well, this is Kiki, the little witch girl." She said, turning back to me, "Actually, not so little anymore! My, have you grown into a beautiful young woman!" I smiled and twirled around in my white dress. I had always wanted to get a prettier dress than the other one I had, and this one was so beautiful.

"Isn't it gorgeous? Ever since I became a master witch, I've had this gorgeous dress!"

"It is pretty," Osono said, "but what happened to your other dress?" I pulled out the bag I was carrying and opened it. Inside were many things I treasured, and one of them was the dark, violet dress I used to wear as a young teenager in training.

"I brought it to remind myself of all the good times we used to have!" I told her. Osono smiled and I closed the bag with the dress in it.

"Well, if you don't have a place to stay yet, we are more than happy to invite you to live here." I almost wept. Osono was so kind to me, even when we first met and she didn't know who I was. Osono still showed me the same kindness after all this time.

"Oh, Osono!" I said, jumping and giving her a big hug, "You're the greatest!"

"Yay!" Kimi said, "We have a witch living here!" I giggled at how happy Kimi sounded. It was nice to see someone so happy for my arrival. Kimi was too young to remember me from when I first came to Koriko, but I was sure there would be new memories we could make. She walked over to me and pointed to Jiji and Jin.

"Can I see your black cats?" She asked. I looked at Jiji and he shook his head.

"Uh, uh. No way is a little girl going to play with me!" Jiji shouted. At least only witches could hear what he said, because Kimi might have started to cry if she heard that.

"Here you go, Kimi," I said, taking Jiji and Jin off my shoulders, "Have fun with them!" Kimi smiled and ran to the kitchen to play with Jiji and Jin. He may hate me after that, but at least Kimi got to have some fun.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Osono said, "I could see how...uninterested Jiji was about going." I chuckled and replied, "Oh, he had it coming." We both laughed and walked to the back of shop. There, I saw Osono's husband again. He didn't see me rush to embrace him and almost dropped the bread he had baked.

"Hi! Remember me? It's Kiki! It's so great to see you again!" He was a very quiet person, but managed to say, "It's nice to see you too, Kiki." I smiled and Osono led me to the back door. Everything seemed to be the same as before. The clothes' line was still there, the white picket fence, and the attic. Last time when Osono allowed me to stay with them, I was living in the attic. The sign Tombo made for me that said "KIKI" was still there.

"Here you go!" Osono brought me back to the room I used to live in. A lot has changed about it. During my absence, dust had been collected and everything seemed old. Spider webs had appeared, but cleaning up wouldn't be a problem for me.

"My, things do get a little messy after long periods of time," she said, handing me a pillow and sheets. "I would love to help, but I can't leave Kimi to run the shop forever, especially now since she took a break." We chuckled and she waved good-bye.

Minutes later, Jiji and Jin entered through the window. Jiji looked disgusted and was cleaning himself up. I just laughed and he gave me a cold look.

"What, you think this is funny? That brat gave us a bath! It was terrible!" Jin was licking himself as well, trying to get the thought out of his mind.

"Well, at least I won't have to give you one myself."

"Whaaaat! You were going to give us a bath?" I nodded and he scolded. He looked out the window to the neighbor's house. Of course, he knew Lilly would be there.

"I wonder where Lilly could be," Jiji finally said, running up to the roof and leaving me to clean by myself, followed by Jin. He was very eager to reunite with Lilly. Jiji missed her so much, almost as much as I missed Tombo. I wondered if he was around somewhere.

"Don't be out too late, Jiji!" I shouted out of the window. I placed my belongings on the bed and looked out the window to the sea. It was just as blue as I remembered it was. The sun was lowering behind the ocean. The day was leaving, and what a long day it had been. But at last, I have finally made it back to Koriko. Home. My true home.

I made the bed and was ready to just fall asleep. Before I did, I looked up at the sky one last time and whispered, "I'm home, Tombo. I'm home."

"_Kiki," he said, "Kiki, is that you?"_

"_Tombo?"_

"_I'm here, don't worry." Tombo held my hands so softly. He was so gentle with me._

"_I'm sorry, Tombo. It's all my fault."_

"_No, no it's not."_

"_I should have told you before," I replied._

"_But you're here now," Tombo said, "So just tell me." I held my breath. Telling him the truth was the biggest thing I'd ever have to do._

"_Tombo…I…I…"He was slowly fading away. I had only seconds before he was gone completely._

"_What? Please, tell me."_

"_I…I…"And just like that, he vanished._

"_No! Wait!" I shouted, hoping he would hear me. I collapsed to the ground._

"_I love you, Tombo…" _

**So Kiki is finally settled into Koriko again. It may be some time before she sees all her friends again, but I'm not going to spoil anything for you guys. And just to clear things up, the ending part was Kiki's dream if you didn't get that. Kiki is in for a crazy morning. Reviews are always helpful to me so if you liked/disliked anything, please tell me. Thanks!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	3. Chapter 3:Things Change

******Hi! Hope you all enjoyed last chapter because now, things are starting to heat up. We left off with a nice little reunion with Osono and Kiki, but now that Kiki is back, she's after one thing: Tombo. What will happen now? So many things could have happened during the time Kiki was gone...**

**Chapter 3: Things Change**

It was early morning when I woke up. The sun shone brightly through the clouds. That dream I had the night before felt so real. It was like Tombo was there with me. It killed me when I didn't tell him my feelings. I was only seconds late. But that was a dream. It wasn't going to happen in reality.

Curled up in a ball next to me was Jiji. I decided to let him rest for a few more minutes. He was probably up late last night with Lilly. Silently, I crept out of bed and put on my white dress. I brushed my black hair until every knot had vanished. The red belt was on the table and I tied in around my waist into a bow. Walking down to the bakery reminded me of all the good times I had down there. Osono and her husband were so kind in giving me a job and letting me stay there. I wished I had returned to Koriko sooner.

"Morning!" I said. Osono and Kimi were bringing bread to the shop while her husband was baking. They looked at me and smiled. Kimi set down the bread and ran to give me a hug.

"Kiki! You're awake!" She said. "Is Jiji up? Can he play again? We had so much fun yesterday!" I chuckled and bent down to her level.

"Actually, I think he was up late last night, so you might want him to get some sleep." The smile vanished from her face.

"Okay," she said, grabbing the bread and slowly walking to the front of the bakery. I felt bad. Maybe one of Jiji's kids would like to play with her. Probably not Jin after his "experience" last night.

"Alright now, Kiki, if you don't mind, we could use your help today." I smiled and gladly took the bread to the front of the shop. Placing the bread in their usual spots, I was ready to tell Osono. Tombo wasn't the only thing I was dreaming about the night before. I had other plans for coming back to Koriko.

"I was wondering, Osono," I managed to say, "Do you think it's too late for me to reopen my delivery business?" Osono chuckled and I became very confused.

"I had a feeling you might say that," she pointed to the window and there it was: the sign that read _**Kiki's Delivery Service**_. When people saw that, they would have surely remembered me. I gasped and gave Osono a big hug. Ever since I came back, it seemed like I was giving a lot of hugs.

"Thank you so much, Osono!" I said, "I can't believe you still have it!"

"Why, of course we do! That was the most precious thing we had left when you returned home! I always thought of it as a reminder of you, and I knew you would one day come back."

"Really? How'd you know that?"

"Well, for one thing you love this city! I would always see you with your friends or staring at that clock tower! And of course, I knew you'd come back for someone in particular…" After she said that, Osono quickly shut her mouth and turned away. It was very odd, even for Osono.

"Tombo…"I whispered, "Oh my goodness! Where is he?"

Osono looked a little shy and was quiet now. It seemed a little too out of the ordinary.

"Osono, where is he? I need to talk to him."

"I…I don't think that's a good idea. I shouldn't have mentioned it." She returned to the kitchen, but I wasn't about to give up yet. Before I could go to the kitchen, a customer walked in. It was very strange since opening wasn't for another hour or so.

"Is it me, or did a witch just come in without saying hi to her best friend?" I turned around and saw a young woman older than me, carrying a large backpack that seemed heavier than she was. She had a straw hat but her light brown hair was still visible.

"Ursula?" I questioned. She nodded and I rushed up to her.

"Ursula! It's great to see you again!"

"You, too!" She replied. She put her bag down and rested her hands on her knees. She looked somewhat older, but still recognizable. I was surprised that she remembered me. I had changed so much since the last time we saw each other.

"So, how have you been since you left Koriko?" Ursula asked.

"Oh, pretty good. I became a master witch when I was only sixteen!"

"Wow, nice going! I thought witches become a master around the time they turn eighteen."

"They do, but after I returned home I realized there was more to being a witch than flying. My mom taught me how to make potions and I've become very good at it!"

"Well, that's good!" We laughed and Osono came out. Ever since I came to Koriko, Ursula and Osono had become real good friends.

"Hi, Ursula! How've you been?"

"Fine. I see now that Kiki is back, things in the bakery will be moving more swiftly." We all chuckled, but something was still on my mind. Whether or not Osono wanted to tell me, she was going to.

"Osono, you never answered my question," I said, "I really need to talk with Tombo. Where is he?" She became silent. I turned to Ursula, and she looked the exact same way. What was going on?

"Oh…I'm sorry, Kiki, I need to get that um…thing for Ursula…"

"Right, I'll just go to the kitchen with you to get the…um…thing…"They both ran out of the bakery and went to the kitchen, but I wasn't giving up yet.

"Uh, no way. What's so important that you two have to keep it hidden from me?"

"I think you should hear it from someone else, anyone but me." Osono said and quickly turned around to bring more of the merchandise to the front. What happened while I was away? I turned to Ursula, but she just sighed. I had to find out. I needed to know what was so important.

I ran out of the bakery and back to my room. Jiji, now awake, was very curious as to what I was up to.

"Kiki! Kiki, where are you going?" I grabbed my broomstick and he climbed on my shoulder.

"To find Tombo! I think something terrible has happened to him!"

**Like I said, a lot could have happened while Kiki was away. But what? You'll just have to wait and see! I know these chapters seem short, but in due time they will start getting longer. This story isn't over yet! Thanks for all who have read this and for all the reviews I've gotten! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	4. Chapter 4: Looking for an Answer

******Hey, everyone! Did you enjoy last chapter? I know I left you with a cliffhanger, but all your questions will be answered soon. Some of you already have guessed what happened to Tombo. If you have an idea as to what happened, I'd love to hear it. I want to see what you all think! Enjoy the next chapter!**

**Chapter 4: Looking for an Answer**

"Kiki," Jiji said, "Kiki, do you even know where you're going?" I tried ignoring him, but he just would not shut up. I was going to have to answer his questions eventually. He never gave up on anything. But at the moment I was too distracted. All these questions kept arising. I had no idea as to what happened to my dear friend, Tombo. I didn't even know where he was.

"Kiki, what made you worry about Tombo in the first place?" I gave up too easily. If he wasn't going to shut up, I was going to have to tell him what I knew, although I didn't know much. Osono and Ursula wouldn't tell me anything, which meant I was going to have to find out the answer on my own.

"It was Osono and Ursula," I finally said. We were flying only a few yards above the street, avoiding any cars that would have come in our way. I looked left and right, trying to spot Tombo. I didn't even know what was wrong. Osono and Ursula were too frightened to tell me anything. Was he hurt? Was he lost? Was he…dead? I didn't want to think like that but anything could've happened within a span of six years. I could have been too late to tell him the truth after all.

"What?" He asked.

"I asked them where I could find Tombo and they got all weird, like they didn't want to tell me something. When I asked what it was, Osono said I should ask anyone but her. I don't know what to think anymore!" I was crying. Things like that made me emotional and the thought of never seeing Tombo again was excruciatingly painful. I wasn't even looking where I was going, and somehow I managed to fly lower and lower.

"Kiki, look out!" Jiji shouted. I looked up and straight ahead was a car coming right at us. I quickly maneuvered the broomstick and we dodged the oncoming car. We landed safely on the ground. I was panting; that was too close. I shouldn't have gotten distracted while flying. With so much that was going on, it was hard not to.

"That was a close one!" I shouted.

"Kiki, maybe you should talk to Nori." Nori was one of Tombo's friends. I made a delivery to her house for her birthday when I first came to Koriko. Her grandmother was so kind to me. It was shame that she passed away before I left Koriko and returned home. I barely made it home without bursting into tears.

"Yeah, we have to find her!" I shouted. I flew on my broom to the house I remembered was hers. It had been a long time since I had been there. She may have moved out already. She could have moved to a new town as well. I needed to at least try and find her. Someone was going to tell me what was going on, whether they liked it or not.

"Kiki, are you sure we're going the right way?" Jiji asked. I looked up ahead and saw a gigantic house in one of the fancy neighborhoods. Immediately, I knew this was her house. Her family was very rich and they owned the biggest house in all of Koriko.

"Yep! Right there!" I flew down and landed on the porch. The sky was becoming darker with clouds. Rain clouds. A storm was about to hit, and fast. I needed to find her before the storm started.

I rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. Jiji was sitting on my shoulder, looking at me and then at the door. The door finally opened and an older woman was standing on the other side.

"Hi," I said, "I'm Kiki, Miss. I was wondering if you knew Nori?" The woman smiled.

"Nori is my daughter," she said. I breathed a sigh of relief. She had to have known where her daughter would be. Right? "Do you know where she is? I need to find her."

"Nori moved out of our house about a year and a half ago," the woman said, "She wanted to start out on her own and bought an apartment by the clock tower. Apartment 4A, I believe." That was all I needed to hear. I got back on the broom and waved good-bye.

"Thank you, Madam!" I said and Jiji and I were off. The clock tower wasn't too far from where we were. The only problem was that the clouds were becoming thicker and thicker by the minute. Rain would be falling soon. I had to hurry or I was going to be in the middle of it.

"Uh, Kiki. You better fly faster because my whiskers say that the rain will be falling…" He couldn't even finish his sentence. It had already begun.

"Now!" He shouted. Lightning struck where we were and I flew away from it. I didn't know where I was going. It was too dark and there was nothing visible. I had to find ground or face disaster.

"KIKI!" The apartments were right in front of us. I had no time to stop. The broom made impact with one of the apartment buildings and it broke into a million pieces. Jiji fell on top of me, but I was knocked out cold. I didn't even know what had happened to me.

_"Kiki," I heard, "Kiki, are you alright?"_

_"Jiji?"_

_"Haha, good one. No, it's Tombo." My eyes opened wide. It really was! He had come back to me!_

_"Tombo!" I shouted. I embraced him immediately. Having him hold me felt nice. It was nice knowing there was someone who loved me just as much as I did._

_"Where are we?" I asked._

_"Well, you hit your head pretty hard. By now Nori has found you and has called an ambulance. You'll be fine, trust me."_

_"I do trust you," I said, "But what about you? Why do I always see you? Where are you? What happened to you?" There were too many questions I was asking at once. The expression on his face didn't look good. I knew something bad was wrong._

_"Everything will be answered soon, I promise." He assured me. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he stared at me with his chocolate brown eyes._

_"Just wake up…wake up, Kiki…please Kiki, just-"_

"Wake up!" I heard a voice outside of my dream. It sounded like someone I knew.

"We should have just told her, Osono." That was Ursula. The other voice had to have been Osono.

"Why didn't you? She wouldn't be in this condition if you had just come clean and told her what happened." The third voice was unfamiliar to me, but obviously the person knew who I was. Was it Nori?

"We didn't know how she would have handled it! And it wasn't even that long ago! She might have thought that if she had been there, she may have been able to stop it."

"Well no one could have. It was an accident. Poor girl, she must be feeling so confused right now." I slowly began opening my eyes. Osono and Ursula were hovered over my hospital bed and an older version of Nori was sitting in a chair next to me.

"Hey, she's waking up." Nori announced. Everyone was looking at me. Jiji was nowhere in sight. Nori smiled at me.

"Hey, Kiki," she said, "Long time no see." I smiled back and tried sitting up.

"Oh no, young lady," Osono said, "You need your rest. The doctor said you have to stay here overnight and heal."

"Wha…what happened to me?" I asked. My voice sounded weak. I was speaking so softly that only Nori was able to hear me.

"You were flying in that storm and knocked into the apartment building I live at," she told me," I ran outside and called an ambulance to help you get to the hospital." I smiled and softly thanked her for her kindness.

"I was coming to see you," I said, "because there was something I needed to ask you. It was about Tombo." Nori looked at Ursula, and then at Osono.

"I know," Nori said, "and I think it's time you know what really happened."

**So we didn't find out what happened to Tombo, but by what Nori said, we will. And again, if you want to I would like to hear your opinions as to what you think happened. What really happened to Tombo? And why was it so secretive that Ursula and Osono couldn't tell her? Thanks for all the reviews I've gotten, and I hope for more to come!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	5. Chapter 5: The Dreadful Truth

******So I gave you guys the weekend to think about what might have happened to Tombo. Well, you're about to find out from his POV! What really happened to him? Why were Osono and Ursula so hesitant to tell Kiki? All will be revealed right now! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: The Dreadful Truth**

**Tombo's POV, three months ago**

It was another sunny day in Koriko. The sun was shining through my window, instantly telling me it was time to start the day. I slowly pulled the covers off of me and placed my feet on the ground. It seemed like a lot of work to make my bed at the moment, so I decided to put it off until the following day.

"Tombo!" I heard my name being called. "Tombo, get up!" I ran to my closet to pick out an outfit for the day. Today was it. I just knew it. I had a feeling today was the day that she would come back.

Ever since that day when Kiki left, I had hoped and dreamed that she would return. I had a feeling she would. She loved everyone she knew. It was hard seeing her go, but I knew that at some point she would want to come back. And I wanted her to come back.

Before Kiki ever came to Koriko, I knew there was something missing. There was a part of me that felt empty. But when Kiki first showed up, everything felt perfect. It felt like the puzzle was complete. She made my world complete.

"Tombo!" I ran down the stairs, brushing my teeth as I did. I walked into the kitchen and saw my older sister, Aimi, cooking herself breakfast.

"You know, I'm not making you breakfast before school." I looked around the kitchen and the dining room, but I couldn't find my shoes._"I put them right here last night,"_I thought to myself.

"If you're looking for your shoes, I put them by the front door," Aimi said, "You need to keep your things more organized.

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep flipping your eggs." She gave me a dirty look and turned away to finish her cooking. I wore on my shoes and dropped the toothbrush on the kitchen table.

"Bye, Aimi! I'll see you for dinner!" I shouted as I ran out the door without hesitation. I had to see if it was true. I had a hunch feeling that Kiki had returned today, and I knew that if she did, the first place would be to go to Osono's bakery.

I remembered when Kiki worked there part-time. She would mind the store and I would visit as often as possible. I knew when her shifts were, and we saw each other frequently. When she got a call to make a delivery, I was always there.

Seeing Kiki fly was the most amazing thing I ever saw. It was like she was living my dream. She would take me flying sometimes, but I had always wanted to be able to do it myself.

I ran down the steps of my apartment, which I shared with Aimi, and took my bicycle. I still had the first bike, the one that could fly. Kiki and I went everywhere together, flying over the ocean and above the city. It was always nice having her around to fly with. After she left, I took a break from flying for a while, and also because it wasn't safe to fly anymore.

I rode on the sidewalk, avoiding anyone who was passing by. The bakery wasn't too far from where I lived, but I still had to cross some busy streets to get there. I lived by the clock tower and that was where the most traffic was. It was hard avoiding cars and buses most of the time. That day, I was almost hit by one.

I slammed on my brakes and was only inches from the front of one of the Koriko buses. The driver started yelling at me, but I only gave him an apologetic look. "_Phew, that was a close one."_I thought. Hoping to not get into too much trouble, I rode on the sidewalk, trying to avoid the ongoing cars.

As I finally made it to the bakery, I stopped my bike and laid it against the wall. I ran to the door and opened it. No one was here yet. Not even Osono. I walked slowly to the counter. I heard a soft sound, almost like a low giggling noise. I knew exactly who it belonged to.

"Kimi, come on out." She stood up from behind the counter and crossed her arms.

"You're no fun," she said, walking to the back. I followed her and saw that Osono and her husband were wide awake, working endlessly in their bakery. She spotted me and dropped what she was holding.

"Tombo!" She said, "Tombo, it's good to see you again!" Osono walked up to me and gave me a hug.

"Osono," I began, "I was wondering…has there been any news about her? Like, if she's coming back? Or if she already is?" Osono sighed. That wasn't a good sign.

"I'm sorry, Tombo. She hasn't told me anything." I looked at my feet. I was starting to doubt if she was ever returning to Koriko. My life wouldn't be the same without her.

"Tombo, you know she loves you. Kiki will be back, I promise you."

"But if she doesn't take the time to write how can I know for sure?" Osono put a hand on my shoulder. "Just remember who Kiki is; the Kiki you and I know would never leave us for good." I smiled and thanked her for the kind words. I knew she would come back. She had to.

I walked out of the bakery and got on my bicycle. I needed to take a slow ride to the beach before going to school. Maybe even skipping school would be fine. Just for one day. I needed to clear my head.

The beach was the perfect place to just sit down and relax. Kiki and I went there all the time together. We would sit by the water and just talk. She was a good listener. She never complained about how talkative I was. Now, it was like I was talking to myself.

By the time I got to the beach, I saw Nori, Kazu, Aina, and Lin who were all there in Kazu's car. Knowing them, they decided to blow off school as well.

"Hey, Tombo!" Aina spotted me and waved. I rode my bike to the car and joined them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I said.

"You will not believe it!" Nori said, "Remember that plane you built from your old bike?" I nodded. That bike was the most important thing to me. It was my only way of flying.

"Of course I do!" I said. Nori smiled and looked at the others. I was getting a little suspicious.

"Well, I asked my dad to take a look at it and he said he knows someone who can fix it up and make it work like it used to!"

"No way!" I said. That was the best news I ever got. I couldn't believe I was about to fly again. At least I could fly with Kiki in spirit.

"Come back here around sunset and we'll see if it works again, alright?" I nodded and they drove off. Knowing them, they weren't heading for school.

It was almost time. I was just finishing eating dinner with Aimi when I got the call. Nori said she was ready and I couldn't wait to get back there. I quickly finished my food and put my plate in the sink.

"Hey! You know, I can't keep helping you! Someday, you're going to have to do your own dishes and cook your own meals!" After living with her for almost a year, I realized that the only way for her to stop talking was to ignore what she was saying.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going out with some friends. I won't be back until dark."

"You will be back no later than eight. Got it?" I smiled and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you! I love you, sis." She looked away, pretending to be the inexpressive older sister.

"I love you too, Tombo." I ran out the door and grabbed my bike. This was definitely going to be a moment to remember.

"Ready, Tombo?" Nori asked. Everyone was here: Nori, Aina, Kazu, and Lin. They all wanted to see me fly again. They knew how important it was to me.

"Ready," I said. I got inside and sat on the bicycle seat. I took a moment to take in what was happening. It really was happening. I was going to fly again. The sun was still up, but barely. I didn't mind, though.

I could hear everyone cheering for me. They wanted to see me fly just as much as I wanted to fly. I started up the engine. I began pedaling as hard as I could. The bike started to move, and everyone followed. I was pedaling fast, and soon, I was in the air.

"Go Tombo!" Nori shouted. I smiled, knowing I was once again challenging gravity. But at one second, one moment, my life changed forever.

"Tombo!" I heard a scream, and that was it. I was going down. The bicycle couldn't handle all the pressure. I was flying for one second, and the next I was seeing my life flash before me. The plane hit some rocks that lay ahead of me. I was unconscious. I was in a deep slumber, unable to awaken.

**Kiki's POV, present-day**

"And that's what happened," Nori said, finishing the story. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It didn't seem to be true. But it had to be. Osono looked at the ground, and Ursula did the same.

"Where is he now?" I asked. Nori was the one to answer me.

"He's here, actually. His hospital room is down the hall to the right, Room 204. He's been there for three months."

"So, he's…Tombo's in a coma?" Nori nodded, and my worst nightmare became reality.

**Too bad for Kiki. Just when she returned to Koriko, she finds out that the one person she loves is practically gone. But on the other hand, Tombo is still alive. She still might get the chance to tell him. Please read and review! Hearing what everyone thinks about this story is great! It makes me want to write even more! Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	6. Chapter 6: Facing the Truth

******Hey! Are you ready to find out what's next? Last time we found out what really happened to Tombo, and now, we're going to see how Kiki can handle it. She knows that Tombo is still alive, but he's not technically living. He's stuck in a hospital bed, unable to awaken. And now, Chapter 6! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6: Facing the Truth**

"I'm sorry you had to hear it like this," Nori said, "but I thought that you should know the truth." I looked down to the end of the hospital bed. I didn't want to believe that it was true. In my mind, Tombo was going to walk through the door and come to my bedside, not wasting a second to see me. But dreams were only that; dreams. I couldn't just wish for things to happen. I had to make them happen myself.

"I want to see him," I said. After I said that, everyone looked at me in shock. They should have known how long I've waited to see him. The surprised looks I received were shocking to me. It has been six years since I last saw Tombo, and they thought I wasn't going to ask them if I wanted to see him?

"What?" I asked, "You all know how much I need to see him." Again, like Osono and Ursula did before, all three looked at each other with trepidation. Now what was wrong? He was here at the hospital. It wasn't like Tombo had died. Although he was close to death, I knew in my heart Tombo was far from it.

"Um, you see, we can't let you do that." Nori replied.

"Why not?" Again, they hesitated to answer. There were so many secrets they were keeping from me. I was their friend. Why did they think that concealing the truth would help? It only made me want to see him even more. Tombo was more than just a friend to me, and they all knew it.

"Well…um…it's just that…you see…" Nori was unable to speak. She couldn't find the right words. There was no way she could tell me without breaking my heart. I knew the answer would, but I wanted to hear it. Luckily for Nori, Osono stepped in.

"For one you can't move!" Osono said, "Your condition is so terrible, you can't even leave the hospital bed!"

"And same for Tombo," Ursula said, "he's been in a coma for three months. You won't really be able to-"

"I don't care!" I shouted, "I just need to see him!"

"Be careful! Don't stress yourself out!" Nori exclaimed. I breathed in and out until I felt calm again. Everything I heard so far was just too much for me to handle. Stress was the last thing on my mind.

"I…I'm sorry," I said, "I just, don't want to believe it's true."

"Neither do we," Osono said, sitting on the other side of the hospital bed, "We love Tombo too, and seeing you in pain is too hard for us to bear. We want you to be happy."

"Thank you," I said, "Can I have a moment by myself? I just want to be alone right now." None of them wanted to leave me, but they knew I was going to have to think things through by myself. They nodded and started to leave the hospital room. Nori looked back as she was heading out the door and said, "Feel better, Kiki." I smiled and she exited.

I breathed a sigh of relief. _"Now's my chance,"_I thought, _"I can go see Tombo without anyone knowing." _I slowly got out of the hospital bed and stood up. At first it was hard standing, but I was able to walk to the door in only a short time.

"Don't worry, Tombo, I'm going to see you, and no one will tell me otherwise."

**Osono's POV**

"Do you think she will be okay?" I asked. I had been worried about Kiki ever since I saw the rain clouds coming in. I knew she was looking for the truth, but I didn't know how far she would go to find the answer. Fortunately for us, Nori was right there when it happened. If it weren't for her, who knows what could have happened to Kiki.

"She'll be fine," Ursula said, "You know Kiki; she's a fighter. I bet by tonight she'll be up and about and coming back to the bakery soon."

"Maybe you're right," I said. But no matter how much Kiki recovered, I knew she would never be complete without Tombo. They shared such a close bond, it was almost impossible to break. Maybe her coming back was a sign that Tombo was going to recover!

"I'm going to the cafeteria, anyone want anything?" Nori said.

"Yuck, I hate hospital food," Ursula said.

"Well, let's just sit down and relax," I told her, "We've been worried about Kiki all day and I haven't eaten anything since last night."

Ursula sighed. "Alright, let's go."

"Ew, how can you eat that?" Ursula said. Nori ordered chicken soup, and obviously Ursula didn't like it. I didn't mind the food at hospitals, but I wasn't in the mood for eating.

"It's better than nothing! I haven't eaten all day!"

"Well, it looks gross," Ursula said. She stood up and pushed her chair back in. "I actually need to get back to the crows. They've been waiting to model for my artwork all day."

"How's your painting doing? Are you putting any in a gallery?" I asked her. I always knew her artwork was amazing, but she always seemed a little uneasy about putting them in a gallery. Ursula loved painting, but never thought they were any good for others to see.

"Actually, someone from the Koriko Art Gallery came by my cabin the other day. He saw some of my work and wants me to put one of them in his gallery!"

"Oh, Ursula, that's great news!" She was clapping and acting like a kid, almost like Kiki. I missed that side of her. She was always fun and exciting, unable to wait for adventures. Kiki just went out into the world and started her own adventures. Kiki may have become older, but the child inside of her would never leave.

"Well, I better be off and start painting again! Bye! Tell me what happens with Kiki!"

"I will!" As Ursula ran out through the doors, Nori went back to eating her soup. I then decided it might be best to check up on Kiki. It had been a while, and she was probably lonely at the moment. She needed some cheering up.

I walked down the hall to Kiki's hospital room. I hoped she didn't do anything to stress her out even more than she already was. Anymore stress like what she had now would really affect her.

"Kiki?" I knocked on the door softly, but there was no reply. I knocked a little louder but still no one responded. Maybe she was asleep. "_Should I go in and check on her or wait at home? No, I told Kiki I'd be here for her, so I have to check up on her."_

"Kiki," I opened the door and inside the hospital room was my worst nightmare. The unthinkable had occurred. I was about to fall to the ground in tears.

"Kiki, Kiki!" The hospital bed was empty and Kiki was missing! We had left her room about a half hour ago! She could have been anywhere! I ran back to the cafeteria to find Nori.

"Nori! Nori! Help! Kiki's missing!"

**Kiki's POV**

"I knew it! Room 204!" I was standing in front of the room that would reveal the devastating truth. I was going to have to see him to believe what Nori said. I wasn't going to rely on her word. I wanted to see it for myself.

It was almost too catastrophic to believe. I didn't want it to be true, but it was reality. I was going to have to face it eventually. Slowly, I opened the door. I couldn't see anything at first, but that was because the lights were off. I moved around gradually, looking for a light switch.

"Come on, there has to be a source of light in here somewhere," Finally, I found the switch and turned the lights on. I didn't see anything at first. My eyes were shut, unable to open. I couldn't bear to see what was in front of me. I didn't want to believe it, and by closing my eyes I wouldn't have had to see it.

_"No! Don't be a coward! You're going to have to face this eventually, and the best thing to do is to face it now!" _As I opened my eyes little by little, I saw the figure of a person lying on the hospital bed only a few feet away.

_That face, it really belonged to…Tombo!_

"Tombo!" I shouted. I ran to his bedside, but he didn't hear me. He was unconscious, and had been for the last three months, according to Nori. It was true, all of it. Tombo was gone, but not completely. If only he would just wake up.

"Tombo! You've got to wake up, please! I need you! I'm back, and I'm here to stay! Please, don't leave me!"

"There she is!" I looked behind me and saw one of the nurses pointing at me. Osono and Nori were behind the nurse and they rushed passed her to me.

"Kiki! Kiki, what are you doing?" Osono questioned. I didn't even know the answer. I just wanted the nightmare to end.

"I just want him back," I whispered, "I want Tombo back." Tears rolled down my cheeks and landed on my hands that were holding Tombo's. It was like he wasn't here, but still he was. I was staring right at him. I felt alone without Tombo, like a part of me was missing.

"It's okay to be sad," Nori said, comforting me, "but you know it won't be that simple to bring him back. It's been three months and he hasn't woken up. I know one day he will come back to us, but we're just going to have to wait for that to happen."

I cried into her shoulder. I didn't know what else to do. I came back to find him again and tell him the truth, but I couldn't even speak to him. Tombo was the main reason for my return to Koriko, and I wasn't going to give up without a fight.

**Ugh! She's so close to telling Tombo the truth! The only thing getting in the way is the fact that Tombo has been unconscious for three months. Will he wake up? And if he does, what will happen next? Kiki has a long way until she'll be able to free Tombo from this coma. Until next time, please review and tell me what you think!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	7. Chapter 7: The Need for Comfort

******Hi again! Sorry this one took so long, but I needed some time to think about how to continue this. Kiki is still feeling sad about Tombo, and she'll start thinking of what she was doing during that time, or what she could have done. This chapter is more to continue what's going on, but still essential in the story :) So here we go! Chapter 7! **

**Chapter 7: The Need for Comfort**

I was being pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair by Osono, and it was killing me. I needed to be back up and flying. My delivery service was already being recognized and I was going to be busy for the next few weeks. Having Osono take me out of the hospital the way that I was seemed unlawful.

"Osono," I said, trying to stand up, "I feel fine. I think I'll fly back to the bakery."

"Kiki, you heard the doctor. You need to wait some time before doing all that. That means no flying, no walking, no running, no jumping, and…bottom line, no doing anything." I gave her a mean look, but she ignored it and kept going. I finally admitted defeat and allowed her to bring me home in the wheelchair. No matter how much I begged and pleaded, Osono wasn't going to let me make the same mistake twice.

It wasn't even my fault what happened to me. If Osono and Ursula had just told me what happened, I wouldn't have gotten hurt. And it seemed as though luck wasn't on my side that night. It hadn't rained in almost a month here in Koriko, and then the day I go looking for Tombo, a thunderstorm appears. It was as if something was trying to give me a message…

"We'll be home soon, Kiki," Osono told me as I sat in her car. I didn't want to do anything but fly. Flying was my way of being free and being able to go somewhere no one else could. It was always just me and Jiji. Of course, I also had Jin, but just being able to sit in the sky without having any worries was the best thing in the world.

I rolled down the window and stared out to the deep blue ocean. It was exactly as I remembered. Tombo always took me to the beach and we would sit and stare at the ocean for hours. Tombo was always there when I needed him, and I wasn't there when he needed me.

Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't control myself. I felt that there was something I could have done to stop it. Three months ago it happened. They all told me it happened three months before I came back. I was planning on coming back way before then. I became too busy with my delivery service back in my hometown. If I had just closed down when I wanted to, things may have been different.

"Kiki," I heard Osono say my name, "Kiki, what's wrong?" I felt the car come to a stop. Osono pulled the car to the side of the road and stared at me.

"Alright, what's on your mind?" She asked me. I was ashamed of myself. I couldn't even look at Osono.

"It's just…what if I had come back sooner? Maybe if I had come to Koriko before the accident, I might have been able to prevent it." Saying it out loud made it sound even worse.

"Nothing could have stopped it, not even you," Osono said, "If anything, you would have been helping it."

"What does that mean?" I asked harshly. Was she saying that if I was there, I wouldn't have stopped Tombo from going into that death trap?

"Well, just think about it. Who inspired Tombo the most to fly?" That was me. I was his inspiration for flying. The first day he saw me flying was the day he was encouraged even more then to fly.

"And wouldn't you have done anything to give him the chance to fly again?" Again, that would have been me.

"I…I…"

"Exactly. You know it's not your fault, so stop making yourself feel bad! You had nothing to do with it. It was a freak accident; no one would have guessed that something as crazy as that would happen." I looked back at Osono, hoping that what she said was true. But in my heart, I knew it wasn't.

"Alright," I said. Osono smiled and returned to driving, but I still felt the same way.

"Kiki!" As I slowly walked through the door, with the help of Osono, a young girl rushed towards me, knocking me down as I got through the door.

"Ah!" I shouted. Falling was a lot harder than normal. Osono was right about one thing: I was going to have to be motionless for the next few days.

"Kimi!" Osono shouted, "You shouldn't do that! Kiki is in a lot of pain right now, and she needs her rest."

"No playtime?" Kimi asked.

"Not for a while," she replied. Kimi walked away, and it was obvious how sad she was. I never knew I meant so much to her.

"She'll be alright," Osono assured me, "Just give it a little time and she'll be as happy as ever." I smiled and she led me to the backyard. I wasn't going to be able to use the wheelchair around there, so Osono half-carrying and half-leading me there was the best I could do.

"And we're here!" Osono said, breathing a sigh of relief. It took a long time just to get from the bakery to the attic. Normally, I could get from there to here in a heartbeat.

"I made your bed for you and brought up some extra blankets to keep you warm. In an hour or so I'll bring you some dinner, okay?" I nodded and laid down on the bed. She left the attic and there I was, left to waste my days away.

I wanted to just stand up, get on my broom, and fly away. I wanted to be alone, where no one could ever find me. Flying was my way of solitude. I could be alone, except for when Jiji came; then it was better just to stay home.

"Uh, Kiki?" I looked to the window and saw Jiji, Lilly, and their four children sitting on the windowsill. Jiji and Lilly first came down to greet me, and soon after Jin led his sisters to where I was lying down.

"Hi, Jiji," I said, "How's it going?"

"It hasn't been the same without you," He replied. Jiji and Lilly curled up next to me. I was glad to know that they were there for me. I needed all the comfort I could get.

"Thank you," I whispered. He smiled and licked my nose. I used to find it repulsive, but I knew it was only out of love. He was my best friend and always will be. Lilly was curled up next to me as well. I couldn't understand her since she wasn't a witch's cat, but I knew she was there for me.

"So," Jiji started, "how's Tombo doing?" I looked down at the sheets. I didn't want to say he might never wake up. I didn't want to believe that that may have been the case. In my heart, I knew he would come back for me.

"He…Tombo is… he's going to be fine, I know it." I replied.

"How do you know?" Jiji asked.

"I just do, okay?" I snapped. Jiji just stared at me with worrisome eyes. I was scared of the truth. I couldn't handle what would happen if he didn't wake up. I would go to the hospital every day, hoping that that day would be the day he would wake up.

But if he did wake up, if he did come back, then everything would be okay. I would tell him the truth, something I should have said a long time ago.

"Kiki, maybe you need some rest," Jiji said. He was right. I needed to get my strength back if I was going to begin delivering again. Lilly led the girls to the window and they jumped onto the windowsill, returning to their home. Jiji and Jin stayed, but I knew they wanted to go with them.

"Go on," I said, "I'll be fine alone."

"Are you sure?" Jiji asked. I nodded, and they both looked at each other, not sure if they should go.

"I need to get some sleep anyway." I replied. I pulled the covers up to my chin. Jiji and Jin smiled and scurried off to the window. I was alone. Sometimes being alone was good for me.

"Tombo, I hope you'll be alright," I whispered, falling into a deep sleep.

_"Kiki," I heard a voice call my name. "Kiki, you're back."_

_"To-Tombo?"_

_"Yeah, I'm glad to see you again." He smiled and I rushed up to him. I didn't ask why I saw him. I was just too happy to be there with him to wonder how._

_"Tombo!" I shouted. He held me tight, never letting go. I wanted to stay like that forever._

_"How are you feeling? You were pretty busted up after that accident," Tombo said. How could he have known that I was in an accident?_

_"How…how did you know? Why can I see you?" I asked him so many questions, not knowing how strange the answers would be._

_"You're dreaming," Tombo replied, "Everything you see right now is only a dream." I was stunned. Everything was a dream? Every time I saw him, every chance wasted to tell him the truth, that was only a dream?_

_"Even you?" I asked. He looked down at his feet, slowly nodding. I knew it was too good to be true seeing him._

_"But don't worry," Tombo said, "We'll see each other again. Trust me."_

_"What? How can you be so sure?" I asked. I was running out of time. He was fading away, just like before. I was wasting yet another chance to tell him._

_"Wait! Don't go!" I shouted after him._

_"Trust me," He whispered. And with that, he disappeared from my sight._

"AH!" I shouted, waking up. It was the middle of the night, and the moon was high up in the sky. Jiji was asleep next to me, along with Jin. They were always there for me. I guessed they returned after I had fallen asleep.

"Tombo," I whispered, "I trust you."

**Oh, poor Kiki. She really wants to believe that what happened to Tombo was accident. She blames herself when she wasn't even there! Kiki is just feeling sad and alone and by thinking it was her fault confirms all that. She's going to need her friends and family a lot now, even Jiji and Lilly. A little short, but says a lot. I'm sure you all knew these were all dreams, but Kiki wanted to believe he really was there. Until next time, please read and review :) I really want to hear what you all think of this! Thanks!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: An Artistic Vision

******Hey! I know, I know, this is little late but I needed some time to think. I hope you like this, because I worked all day on it! The Internet wasn't working at my house, so I had to wait until morning. :( But, it's here and ready and...we meet a new character. Kiki is going to be very curious...**

**Chapter 8: An Artistic Vision**

It has been almost two weeks since I came back to Koriko. Osono, being the nice woman she's always been, allowed me to stay in the attic as I did before. The next day, I got into an accident and she, along with many more of my friends, was by my side. Now, I was ready to get up and back to work.

I already had customers waiting for me to reopen my delivery business. I was ready to get back on my broom and fly.

"Kiki!" I had already been awake for a while and was getting dressed when I heard my name being called. I grabbed my broom and ran to the door to meet up with Osono. Jiji jumped from the roof onto my shoulder as I raced down the stairs to the bakery.

"Hi!" I shouted. Everyone was busy at work. Osono's husband was baking while his wife and daughter were bringing the bread to the shop.

"Well, looks like all that rest and relaxation has helped you. You look better than ever!" Osono said.

"Yeah, I feel great," I replied, "Great enough to start delivering again." Osono looked at me with worried eyes. She was acting like my mother. Osono was always a part of my family, but more like a sister. But now, she was always worried about me, thinking I was going to do something crazy.

"Osono, I can do it. I feel better than I did when I came to Koriko. Please, let me start my delivery service again." Osono looked to her husband for advice, but he didn't say anything. He never took sides, and if he did we wouldn't know since he never talked.

"Alright," Osono said in defeat. I smiled and gave her a hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" I placed my broom by the back door while I helped Osono and Kimi bring the merchandise to the front. When someone called for me, I would be on that broomstick before they hung up.

"Can Jiji play today?" Kimi asked me while we were putting the bread away. I looked to Jiji and he just shook his head.

"Uh, uh, No way! Not again! You owe me for last time, anyway!" I smiled. He knew he deserved to "play" with Kimi the first time. To me, I wasn't done getting back at him.

"Here you go, Kimi," I said, forcing Jiji into her arms. He kept squirming and moving around. It was hard getting his claws off of my dress. He almost tore it apart.

"Kiki! NO!" He shouted as Kimi took him to the back room. I wasn't going to see him for quite some time.

"What was it that Jiji did to make you so mad at him?" Osono asked. I continued putting the bread away. What he did to me was embarrassing.

"Jiji's good at embarrassing me. But he did something that, to me, was honestly unforgivable."

"Really? What?" Osono asked. She was so intent on hearing it. Luckily for me, someone was here to see me.

"Excuse me," A man said, "You have a delivery service here, right?" I was so ecstatic. My first customer was already here! I was surprised to see someone here so early.

"Yes!" I shouted, "Yes, I'm the delivery girl. How can I help you?" He was holding a letter in his hands. Couldn't he just send it to the post office to get mailed to whoever he wanted to give it to? As I looked a little closer, I saw there was a heart stamp where the letter closes. A love letter?

"I need this letter delivered straight away," He said, "I think she'd like it if a witch flew down from her broomstick to deliver this. And... I'm a bit nervous to give it to her myself." I think I saw the man blush. He was really in love with this person.

"Oh," I said, "And who am I giving this to?" I asked. The man handed me the letter, and the girl's name was on the back. The name came as a shock to me. I couldn't believe who it was!

"Her name is Ursula," The man said. My mouth dropped, and I predicted the same for Osono.

"Ursula?" We shouted. When did she have a boyfriend? When I came to town, she never told me anything about having anyone in her life. Ursula lived in solitude, and she even told me once she wasn't planning on getting married or having kids.

"Wait, you two know Ursula?" He said back. He made it sound like she lived like a hermit. Technically, she was, but she wasn't alone. After I left, Osono and Ursula became great friends.

"Yeah, how do you know her, Mr. Admirer?" I asked sharply. I was a little angry that Ursula didn't tell me about her little relationship.

"Well, I…um…she and I…" He was stuttering. I didn't like it.

"Well?" I asked, crossing my arms. He started sweating. What was so wrong with telling me about his relationship with my friend?

"Kiki, I think we should ask what his name is before jumping to conclusions," Osono said. I sighed. I didn't like this guy. Something seemed off about him.

"My name is Louis King. I'm an English art gallery owner. I came here looking for new paintings and sculptures, which was when I found Ursula." He smiled at the sound of her name. Louis was completely and utterly in love with Ursula.

"Wait, are the one who wants to put Ursula's work in your gallery?" Osono asked. Someone wanted Ursula's paintings? Why didn't I know about that? I always knew about everything, but obviously not this.

"Well, it started that way, then I sort of…well, you know…"

"Fell in love with her?" I finished. I was sure I saw him blush.

"Could you just please send her this letter? I'm sure you already know where she lives." Louis handed me the letter and took off as fast as he could. Young love; almost like Tombo and me. Only they might actually have a chance.

"Well, I better be off to send Ursula her letter." I said as I winked at Osono. She knew exactly what that meant, and she wasn't going to let me do it.

"Don't you dare read that letter, Kiki!" She warned me.

"Okay, Mom," I said, "I won't, but when I give it to Ursula she's going to tell me every word on this thing!" I ran to the back and grabbed my broom. It was still where I had left it, and Jiji was sitting on the tip of it.

"Our first delivery?" Jiji asked. He climbed onto my shoulder and took the broom.

"Yep! I can't believe it! And, it's to Ursula." I said. I ran out the front door and sat in the middle of the broomstick. Almost in an instant, we were up in the air, flying as high as I thought was possible.

"Ursula? Who knows that hermit?"

"Jiji!" I shouted. He was becoming a bigger pain in the ass as the years went by. It must have been middle age crisis.

"Sorry! But someone who lives in the middle of nowhere and talks to birds is a hermit."

"She has friends other than the birds! And you talk to them, too!"

"Whatever, believe what you must." Jiji was quiet for most of the ride to Ursula's. I was surprised; he didn't say one word about Kimi. Maybe it wasn't as bad as last time.

"So," I started, "Did things with Kimi go alright?"

"Don't even get me started with her!" Jiji yelled. I smiled and chuckled. Kimi was just a kid, and Jiji was almost ten years old. He was becoming an old cat, and the way Kimi played was too rough for him.

"Oh, come on! How bad could it have been?" I asked. He looked at me with cold eyes.

"That little brat dressed me up in girly dresses!" I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Kimi put doll dresses on him? Didn't she know he was a boy?

"It's not funny! I liked her better when she was baby and Osono's problem!" Jiji shouted. I couldn't control myself. It was hilarious!

"Kiki…Kiki…" I barely heard a word he was saying. "Tree!" I looked up and we were heading directly towards a tree! "Ah!" I shouted. Steering my broomstick, we had just missed the oncoming casualty. I already almost died; I didn't need one more incident on my hands.

"That was a close one," I told Jiji. I had spotted Ursula's cabin and was starting my descent.

"Well, it's your fault. If you weren't laughing at my embarrassing moments we wouldn't have to go through that."

"Huh, you're one to talk about laughing at one's embarrassing moments."

"One time!" He shouted, "Is that why you keep sending me off to play with that monster Osono calls an angel?"

"Maybe…"I whispered. We had landed right in front of Ursula's cabin. The letter was still in my hands. I wanted to read it, but I knew how Ursula felt about personal space. She was going to tell me; I would force her to.

"Ursula!" I said in a girly tone. The door opened and she was wearing her normal outfit. She didn't own one pair of jeans that went passed her knees, nor a shirt longer than her shoulders. I doubt she owned any dresses. If she was serious about this guy, Ursula would need to go shopping.

"Hey! I see you're feeling better!" She ran over and gave me a hug. I hadn't seen her since I left the hospital. She said she had an artistic vision and needed to work on it nonstop, before the image left her mind.

"So what are you two doing here?" Ursula asked, "Shouldn't you be working in the bakery if you're up and about?" I showed her the letter where she could see the heart. Her smiled faded away, but mine stayed still.

"Louis asked me to deliver this to you. Care to explain?" Ursula took the envelope and walked back to the cabin. But she didn't go inside; instead, she went to the ladder next to the side of the house and climbed up to the roof. I flew up there and saw her staring at it. She didn't even open it.

"What's wrong? I was only curious." I sat next to her, but she didn't even look at me. What was wrong? Why was she being so down about love?

"Come on! You can't hide this! Osono knows too." Now, I got her attention.

"You told her?" Ursula shouted. What was the big deal? It was only love. When I was a witch in training, I told her about all the cute boys I saw. Of course, none of them compared to Tombo.

"I didn't tell anyone. Well, Jiji but that doesn't count. Who's he going to tell?"

"Then how does she know?"

"She was there when Louis came! Why are you making such a big deal about this? It's only love. Love is amazing! How come you're acting like it doesn't exist?"

"For me, it never has." Ursula replied. I could feel no emotion in that response. I didn't believe Ursula thought of herself as someone who couldn't be loved.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I mean that I've never had a real boyfriend." Ursula sounded serious. She never had a boyfriend? I didn't believe that.

"What do you mean? Who wouldn't be thrilled to be your boyfriend?"

"Every guy I know, I guess." She seemed depressed ever since I gave her the letter. I knew what would make her feel even a little better.

"Not Louis," I said, pointing to the letter, "He seems to like you." She looked down at the letter. I even thought she smiled.

"We're only business partners, that's it," she replied, "He's going to show off my art and maybe sell them in an auction. I don't know why he's sending me letters and asking me out to dinners and-"

"Wait, he asked you out on a date?" I exclaimed.

"Once, but I told him I couldn't go. I need to finish this painting!"

"You're going." I said. I grabbed my broom and flew down to the cabin's door. I opened it and ran to the closet.

"Kiki!" I heard from above. Ursula wasn't going to like it. I was going to find her a pretty outfit to go out with Louis. He seemed like a nice man. A little shy, but only the nice guys are.

"Kiki, what are you doing?" She asked, like she didn't know.

"I'm finding you a nice outfit and you're going on that date." I couldn't find anything useful. She only wore outfits that wouldn't be ruined if she spilled paint on them.

"Kiki, don't even bother. It's tonight and I'm not prepared. Besides, I know how it's going to end." That wasn't a lot of time to get her ready, but with a little magic, I knew Ursula would go on that date.

"Ursula," I began, "Remember when you wanted me to pose for your painting? You said you were inspired from the first time we met."

"Yeah, but what does this have to do with me and Louis?"

"When I told you I wasn't that beautiful, you denied it as strongly as you could. Now, you're doing exactly what I was. You're denying your beauty." Ursula stared at her feet. She knew I was right.

"Have a little fun in your life. Louis seems like a really nice guy. I'd hate to see you miss a chance in finding love." Ursula looked down at the letter. I knew she wanted to read it. Her smile was coming back.

"Kiki, you're a really good friend," Ursula said.

"Thanks," I said, "But um…"

"You want to read the letter, right?" Ursula said. It was like she could read my mind.

"I'm _dying _to know!" She quickly opened the envelope and took out the letter inside. It read…

_**Dear Ursula,**_

_**I wanted to tell you this in person, but I didn't know how to say. Instead, I decided to write it down in this letter. Since the day I met you, I've thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. You are so compassionate and loving. I know so far you have rejected my attempts to ask you out on a proper date, but I was hoping you would reconsider. I have a business meeting until 6, but I made a reservation to a new restaurant that opened here in Koriko. Meet me in front of the bakery at 7. I hope to see you there.**_

_**-Louis**_

"You have to go!" I exclaimed.

"Maybe," She replied, "I don't know, I haven't gone shopping in the longest time! I don't have anything fancy to wear."

"Not yet," I whispered. Ursula was always edgy about my ideas. I grabbed my broomstick and Jiji jumped onto my shoulder.

"Well?" I said, "Come on!"

"Where?" She asked.

"We are getting you dressed up for your date."

**Isn't that sweet? Ursula found love! Well, not yet. She's still nervous about how it'll all turn out. Love is in the air in Koriko! I couldn't wait to post this so you all could read it! And next time, we'll see what Ursula has in store for her on her date... thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	9. Chapter 9: Taking a Chance

******Hi again! Sorry if these updates are taking a while, but my teachers thought it would be a good idea to give us summer homework. Once school is back and I get the feel of my classes, I'll be back and better than ever! I know some of you want to see Tombo and Kiki, but I wanted to give the storyline a little twist. Let's see what happens on Ursula's date...**

**Chapter 9: Taking a Chance**

"Osono!" I shouted. I had just landed in the backyard with Ursula and Jiji. Before Kimi could get outside, Jiji scurried off. Of course, instead of going back to our room he goes to the neighbors to see Lilly and their kids.

"Kiki, I think it's a little too late for me to get ready." Ursula kept finding excuses so she wouldn't have to go on that date. But I wouldn't have any of it. She was going whether she wanted to or not.

"No more excuses! You're going and that is final!" I shouted. Osono finally joined us. She gave Ursula a funny smile, indicating she knew all about Louis.

"What's the problem?" Osono asked.

"Ursula has a date tonight and she refuses to go." I explained. I don't know why she was fighting us about going, but I was going to change her mind.

"Do you remember the last time I went on a date, Osono?" Ursula asked. Osono put her hand to her chin, thinking. Obviously, no one could remember the last time she went out on a date. That was the same for me. I never found anyone suitable to date. The only one I could even think of was Tombo, but that wasn't going to happen.

"Exactly," Ursula concluded, "I am not going on this date!"

"Ursula, you're being a baby! Don't you realize how much Louis likes you?" I didn't like how she was putting herself down the way she was. She made it seem like no one would love her.

"How long do you even think this will last? What if he is just like every other man? Once he's bored with me, he'll go for the next best thing."

"Is that really what you think?" I asked her, "I can tell you for sure he is not like any other guy you've met. He's sweet and nice and whenever he thinks about you, he smiles the way I smile for Tombo." Ursula looked at me with sad eyes. She didn't want to risk her heart being broken again.

"You really think he could be the one?" She asked. I nodded without a second thought. Ursula looked to Osono for help, but she only helped my side of the argument.

"Alright! I give up; maybe Louis is special, and maybe my past is preventing me from going for it." I smiled and clapped loudly. She was actually going! I was excited for her. I knew she would do it.

"Wait, what time did he say to meet you at?" Osono asked. I looked at the clock: 5:54.

"Kiki, how am I going to get ready in one hour? That's impossible! I don't even have a dress!"

"Hey, I'm a witch, aren't I? Osono, you fix her hair while I get her a dress." She nodded and the two went inside the bakery. I went to my room in the attic. As I was pacing the floor, Jiji came in through the window.

"Hey, how's the date thing going?" He asked.

"Alright, why?" I asked.

"Because you look a little nervous."

"Well, I have to make a dress in less than an hour. What did you think?"

"Wait," Jiji said, "You don't know what you're doing, right?"

"I have no idea what to do!" I shouted. I looked out the window to see if anyone heard, but it was only Jiji and I. He started laughing. This wasn't the first time he laughed at my mistakes.

"Stop that!" I shouted. He laughed till he was breathless, wiping his eyes.

"This is serious! How am I going to make a breathtaking dress in... 42 minutes?" Jiji began looking around the room. He jumped down from the window, sniffing my bed. He took the pink sheets off of my bed and held them in his mouth.

"Yeah," I said, "It's perfect! Thanks, Jiji, you're the best!" I placed it on the table and stood by the window.

"Hey, what are cats for?" He said. I placed both of my hands in front of me. The sheet lifted up into the air. I carefully used magic to act as scissors to cut the sheet into the form of a dress. It took me well over half an hour to get the shape done. The dress looked beautiful. It was only knee length and I didn't have time to make the sleeves, so I cut them off, leaving only an inch of sleeve on it.

"It's perfect!" I shouted. Jiji nodded and I was sure she was going to love it. I grabbed the dress and ran down to the kitchen. I couldn't wait to see it in her.

"Ursula! Ursula, the dress is done!" I walked into the kitchen and saw Kimi and her father in the kitchen. He pointed towards the stairs and I followed in that direction. Upstairs in the powder room, Osono was hard at work getting Ursula's hair up to par. Instead of it being in a normal ponytail, her hair was let down, flowing down to her back. Osono did a good job fixing her hair and changing the style.

"Is the dress ready?" She asked. I showed it to them and their mouths nearly dropped to the floor.

"It's gorgeous!" Osono said. She looked at it with awe, and Ursula just stared, not saying a word.

"I can't wear this," she said, "I'd never pull it off."

"Of course you can! I made it especially for you." Ursula stood up and viewed the dress like she was a critic for dresses.

"I don't know..." Ursula was making this harder than it had to be. She had less than ten minutes to meet Louis and she was going to in that dress.

"Don't make me force you into this dress. You want to wear and you know it." Once more, she studied the dress. I smiled when she took it and went to the powder room. Not too long after, she came out.

"Oh my," Osono said. The dress was beautiful. Ursula turned to the mirror and even she was stunned at how gorgeous she made it look.

"Ready for your date?" I asked. When she nodded, I began clapping. If I couldn't have love, at least Ursula could.

Louis was standing outside the bakery right on time. We waited a few minutes before letting her go. I swear, I almost cried when he took her hand.

"I wonder how well it will go," Osono said. I really wanted to know as well, but I didn't know where they were going. If I did, I may have crept about and spied to see how it was going.

"I think I'll just take a walk," I said, grabbing my coat. It was the middle of fall and winter was approaching. When the snow came, I would have to take extra precaution while flying.

"If you think you're going to follow them to that restaurant, you've got another thing coming."

"No, I'm not going to follow them. Although that would be a smart idea." Osono gave me a cold look, indicating that I wouldn't hear the end of it if I interrupted their date.

"I'm kidding! I'll be back before midnight." She nodded and walked away. The bakery was almost closing for the night, so I would have to go through the back door to get inside.

"Kiki!" Someone shouted. I turned around, extremely shocked, but saw that it was only Jiji. It wasn't who I thought it would be. Someone I hoped it would be.

"Oh, it's you." I said. He jumped onto my shoulder and gave me a cold look.

"Hey, that's no way to treat a cat that just saved your ass!"

"I know, it's just I thought you were someone else." I sighed, staring at the sunset. Tombo would take me to the beach every morning and every evening so we could watch it rise and set together.

"Who would you rather see than your trusty old cat?" he asked. I smiled and pat his head.

"No one," I replied, "You're the best friend anyone could ask for." I gave him a little hug.

"Are you okay? Most of the time you would shoo me away and say 'Go away, you silly cat!'"

"I never do that!" I said.

"When you're angry or sad you do," he said, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I said, "Don't worry about it. Let's just take a walk." And we walked away just as the sun set, not to return until morning.

**So Ursula is going in her date and Kiki is sad about...what? I know, this chapter isn't exciting, but as things progress, there will be more thrilling scenes! Reviews always help, so if you can take the time to tell me what you think I would very much appreciate it! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	10. Chapter 10: Dreams and Nightmares

**Were any of you syked to see that I updated? I sure was excited to put this up. It took me most of the day to write, but I wanted to finish for you guys. Now, I can see there really isn't anything exciting or cliffhanging or just out of the blue scenes in this, but I hope this ending catches you all by surprise...**

**Chapter 10: Dreams and Nightmares**

"Kiki…Kiki…" I could faintly hear my name being called. It sounded like Osono, but I was too tired to answer her. I was out late the night before, walking around town with Jiji. I didn't feel like sitting at home doing nothing, and I needed to clear my head with everything that had been going on.

"Kiki, you can't stay in bed all day," Osono said, "You have to work."

"Tell them I can't work today," I replied, "That I'm sick or something." I curled up into a ball under the covers and closed my eyes. I was not in the mood to get up and work. I didn't even want to fly.

All I thought about the night before was Tombo. I couldn't stop thinking about him and how he was still in that coma. I couldn't help but think it was completely my fault, that there was something I could have done to prevent him from falling into that deep sleep somehow. Now, he was trapped in that prison, and I wasn't sure if he would ever wake up.

"Kiki, I want to see you up and ready for the day in half an hour, got it?" I had almost forgotten that Osono was still in the room. Jiji was sleeping next to me, but he didn't hear us.

"Fine," I groaned. I flung the covers off of me and sat up. Osono smiled and walked to the door. I rubbed my eyes and pulled my long, black hair back into a ponytail so it was out of my face. I placed one foot on the wooden floor first, and then the other. It took me a while to stand up and walk to my dress.

"Why bother getting up? What can I do there that I wouldn't be doing here?" I asked Jiji, who couldn't care less what I had to say. He would rather sleep in or be with Lilly. Everyone had someone they loved with them except me it seemed.

"Ready Jiji?" I asked. He moved his tail up and down, up and down. I was annoyed with his lack of energy, and I knew how to change that. I grabbed a bucket of water and walked towards him. Slowly, I was about to pour it…

"Do it and you get the claws," Jiji said coldly. I stopped midway as he opened one eye and stared back at me.

"How did you know I was going to do that?" I asked him.

"You're not that subtle," he replied. It didn't matter that he knew my plan. I shrugged my shoulders and poured the bucket of water all over him. He stood up and ran off. Jiji screeched and jumped onto the windowsill.

"What was that for?! I just told you not to!"

"Well, now that you're _wide_ awake, we can both start the day." I walked over to the windows, undid my hair and brushed it. The ocean looked so beautiful from where I stood. The waves crashed up against the coast, and when you're really far out you could feel how peaceful it could be.

"I thought you were the one who was against that." Jiji replied. While that was true, I figured Osono could use some help. She had been so kind to me since I returned to Koriko, and she probably needed an extra pair of hands in the bakery.

"Yes, but Osono may need us. Plus, if we have any more deliveries today we're going to be super busy!" I placed the comb on the table and ran out the door. I had a sudden burst of energy and needed to get outside. The warm air was so fresh and you could smell the saltwater. It reminded me of when I was younger and had just become a teenager, starting my training to become a master witch.

"Jiji, don't you remember that?" I asked. He jumped onto my shoulder and looked around.

"Remember what? All I see is a big puddle of water."

"You said that last time! No, don't you remember the feeling? Didn't you feel all warm inside when smelled that ocean air?"

"Nope! I say you go inside and get to work while I go and see Lilly. I want to get out of here before the little brat comes out." He jumped down from my shoulder and scurried off to the neighbor's. I shook my head and walked to the back door. Kimi wasn't that bad of a child, she was like any other kid I knew.

Before I entered, I could slightly hear my name being called out.

"Kiki!" I looked to the street and saw Ursula crossing the street to meet me. She was wearing her normal outfit, but her bag seemed lighter than usual.

"Ursula, hi!" I ran up and gave her a hug, demanding her to tell me what happened the night before. I had so many questions for her I didn't know where to start. I was curious about everything that happened during her date.

I was happy for Ursula. She needed to get out and have a relationship with someone other than the birds. Of course she knew people, but I could tell she had been waiting a while to find someone to spend the rest of her life with. Luckily for her, she had me to back her up.

"So how did your date go? What did you say? Did he kiss you? Did you kiss him back? I knew it, you did!" I began clapping excitedly.

"Kiki, quiet! Yes, it went well, but we didn't kiss!"

"Why not?" I asked, "He's cute!"

"Yes he is, but it doesn't mean I have to kiss him on the first date."

"Well, then what did you do?" I asked. Before she could answer, Osono came rushing out.

"Did I miss anything? I want to know everything that happened!"

"Okay," Ursula started as she sat on the grass. Osono and I sat close by, paying close attention to what she was about to say.

"At first, when we sat down at the restaurant, I was really nervous. I didn't know what to say and I froze. I just sat there staring intensely at the menu. Luckily, he broke the silence by talking about himself."

"So is he everything you expected him to be?" I asked.

"At first I was thinking, 'Kiki, why would make me go to this?' But he's so much better than I thought he would! We have so many things in common and the night just seemed to go on forever! It was a dream come true!"

"So what did you do after? Did you go to his place?"

"Kiki, aren't you a little too young to have knowledge about all that?" she asked me.

"I am almost twenty-one! I am at a very mature age!" I responded.

"Well, to answer your question he actually drove me back to my cabin. He led me to the door, but I wasn't going to let him kiss me yet."

"You're no fun!" I shouted, "Why not? You like him, I can tell."

"Because I want to know if he feels the same. Otherwise, I would just be wasting my time on a relationship that wasn't going anywhere."

"But you do like him, right?" Osono asked. It took Ursula some time to answer.

"I...I think I do, but what if I'm not what he expected me to be?"

"Ursula, you're better than he expected you to be," I replied, "I know it. Witches have a way of knowing these things." I winked. Ursula blushed and we all burst out laughing. I knew it was going to go well.

"Okay, well I just wanted to tell you both how glad I was that you forced me into that. I had a great time." I gave her a big hug as a thank you.

"Any time. And tell us when your next date is so we can help again." She nodded and waved goodbye.

I, however, was not in the mood to work, whether it was selling bread or flying around town. There was one place I felt like I needed to be. I had to go visit an old friend.

"Hey, Osono, do you mind if I skip work today? I'll work tomorrow extra late."

"Not at all! Go, have fun!" She was practically begging me to leave. I smiled as wide as I could. I ran upstairs to the attic and gabbed my broomstick. Running back, I could see Osono still where she was.

"I won't be gone long! Thanks!" I hovered over the bakery and soared into the air. I didn't need Jiji for a trip like this. He was busy, and I wanted to be alone with this person anyway.

The Koriko Hospital wasn't too far from the bakery when taking a broomstick. I didn't like taking any other form of transportation there. I floated near the ground and held the broom upright. I walked through the doors and saw many visitors checking in on their loved ones. We all had one thing in common: we all wanted the person we came to see to be all right.

I walked to the counter and signed my name, as well as the patient I wanted to see. The nurse directed me to the hallway I was supposed to go down. I thanked her and walked along.

"Room 204..." I must have whispered the number a hundred times before finding the right door. At first, I just stared at the door. The window was blocked with shades with no other way to see what was inside.

But I already knew what was there. The one person I fell in love with was lying on a hospital bed and there was nothing I could do but wait and see _if _he woke up. There was no guarantee that he would ever come out of the coma, and that tore my heart into a million pieces.

I reluctantly reached for the doorknob, slowly turning it and opening the door. The light was turned on inside. I could hear a soft sound coming from the monitoring screen. His heartbeat was normal, meaning he was the exact same way he had always been for the past three months.

I walked towards one of the chairs that sat in the hospital room and stared intensely at Tombo. His head dressing seemed to have been replaced shortly before I came. At least he was breathing on his own, which the doctors said was improvement from before. He still needed a ventilator, but I could tell he was getting better.

But still, it wasn't good enough.

"Tombo," I whispered, "Tombo, I know you can hear me. I know you can't respond, but I could use someone to talk to. I've waited a while to tell you something, and I felt like now would be a good time. I just wish you would know what I was saying."

The silence from his lips told me to continue.

"Tombo, we've known each other a long time. Even though we didn't see each other for quite a while, I still got your letters, and I'm sure you received mine. You would call me every evening, even when it was the middle of the night in Koriko. Though I knew there was something wrong when you didn't respond, I just thought you didn't have the time anymore."

All I received in response was the beeping noise coming from the monitoring screen. It infuriated me.

"Why didn't you return my calls? You stopped almost two months before your accident! I felt lonely, and I didn't have you there to tell me that everything was okay! I came back for you, and this is what I get? Me sitting next to your lifeless body is not what I was hoping. I wanted to tell you how much I cared about you. I wanted to tell you I..."

The noise began quickening in pace. I looked to the monitoring screen and the lines representing the heart rate increased in size. Not a second later did doctors start flooding in.

"Miss, what happened?" One doctor asked me.

"She needs to go. Someone get her outside." Another said.

"What's going on? What happened to Tombo?" I was led out by one of the nurses, struggling to stay in and see what went wrong.

"Miss, we need you to stay out here."

"What happened? What have I done? I made things worse than they already were!" I walked back and forth, crying into my hands. The nurse patted my back, telling me it wasn't my fault.

"We were expecting this to happen soon. The same thing happened a few weeks ago. We were able to return him back to his original state, but we feared that if this occurred again..." I looked directly into her eyes.

"What? What might happen?" She cleared her throat before throwing everything in me at once.

"As a result of this, there is a slight chance he will awaken."

"That's...that's amazing! That's perfect!" I smiled as big as I could, but I could still see the sadness in her eyes.

"Wait, there is something else, isn't there?"

"Unfortunately, yes there is." I went from the happiest person in the world to the saddest in the blink of an eye.

"While there is the chance he will wake up, there is an even greater chance he will... continue to be in this state for the rest of his life."

**As you can see, the title is very accurate. While Ursula's date went well, Kiki's did not. Tombo is going to have to use all his strength if he wishes to return to normal. I doubt any of you figured I would twist things up like this! And that is what makes the story exciting. I hope to update soon, but until then, please review. Any questions, comments, compliments; all are accepted. Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	11. Chapter 11: All Hope Lost

**Hi everyone! Sorry, I know this took a while, but it also took a lot of thinking. I gave this one a long ending, so I hope you all read it to the end. And boy, what an ending this one is! I won't say anymore, but I hope you all enjoy this. And by the way, I am NOT a medical doctor, so I kind of made some stuff up. :) **

**Chapter 11: All Hope Lost**

"Kiki!" Osono rushed through the crowd of visitors and made her way to where I was sitting. I didn't look up. I couldn't. All I could do was think about how I may have been the cause of what was happening to Tombo. It was my arguing that increased his heart rate. I was to blame.

"Kiki, I got here as fast as I could." I leisurely looked up to Osono's worrisome eyes, tears beginning to stream down my face like a rainy day. She sat down and placed my head on her shoulder as I cried my eyes out.

"Everything will be alright, I promise." I didn't believe her. What I felt was something ineffable. Nothing could describe what was going on through my mind or why I thought the things I did. All I knew was that if Tombo didn't make it, my life was over.

"I'm scared," I whispered so inaudible that Osono questioned me. "I'm scared that he won't make it. The doctors say there is a lesser chance of him surviving than him…him…" That word. That one word was the only one I could not say. Not about his fate. Not about what was in store for him. It was not true. I was not going to let it happen to him.

"Shh, it is all going to work out, Kiki. Just you wait and see." I only allowed myself for the tears to continue forming. There was nothing useful I could do at that moment. All the doctors let me do was wait. And I was a very impatient girl.

"It's my fault," I murmured. However, Osono had no trouble understanding what I said.

"Don't you dare think like that again. You cannot blame yourself for everything that happens to him. This has happened before, remember? The doctors told me it would happen again, so do not tell yourself you are to blame!" I wanted her to be right more than anyone; but I was in the room. I was the one yelling at him for not being there for me when in reality, I was not there for him. "It was an accident. You just happened to be there when it did. I do not want to see you blaming yourself for something that was not your fault."

"But what if it was? I was there! I was yelling at him…and-"

"Wait, why were you mad at him?" Osono asked. My face grew even more depressed, if that was possible. Going through that was terrible. If I could take back one moment in my life, it would be that one.

Or the time I said goodbye for the first time.

That day I will regret for the rest of my life. It was only about a month after I had turned fourteen. My parents had written me a letter, explaining how at the end of a witch's training period, she returns home to test her newly found skills. I had told Osono first, but something held me back from telling Tombo.

I couldn't do it. I could not tell Tombo I was leaving, not without telling him I would be back. Even I did not know at the time when that would have been. I never expected it to take six years. If anything, I would have thought of returning before the year was over. But my extensive training with my mother on making potions weakened my thoughts of returning to Koriko.

I could have said no. If I had just told my parents I wanted to move to Koriko and become their witch, then things may have been different. No, they would have. Tombo would be fine to fly again and I would be able to tell him everything. I would tell him the feelings I was hiding since the day I left…

That day haunts me night and day. I remember it as if it were yesterday. I was packing the attic and placing my belongings in the pink bag I carried. After all the shopping I had gone through, it was hard to place everything in one small bag. Osono had helped by folding the clothes and placing the miscellaneous items in the side. Jiji was with Lilly and their pups. It was Jin's turn to learn the ways of being a witch's cat.

All my friends were there. Nori said Tombo was on his way, that I should wait until he got there. However, I didn't have much time. Clouds were beginning to form and if I did not leave before the rain started, I would miss my chance of getting home safely. I left almost immediately.

As I ascended to the clouds, a voice cried out to me. Tombo. He had come! I descended as fast as I could. Flying for a business taught me so much on how to steer correctly and glide through the air safely. As my feet landed back on the grassy backyard, I stared into his chocolate brown eyes, and they stared back at mine. He gave me a kiss on the cheek, promising me he would write and call me as often as possible. I promised him the same. And we said our goodbyes. And I regretted that moment even more at his hospital bed than I did then.

"Kiki, why don't you take nap? Your eyes look bloodshot and if it's anything like last time, we'll be here all night. This procedure may take all night." Truthfully, I was tired. My eyes were ready to give way, but I had to stay strong. I wanted to be the first person to know he was going to be okay. Nevertheless, sleep got the better of me. In an instant, I laid my head on Osono's shoulder and slowly closed my eyes. I was dead asleep, but Tombo didn't care. These were the only times where he could see me.

_ "Kiki…Kiki, it's me." _

_ "No it isn't, this is just a dream."_

_ "Do you really believe that?" _

_ "No, but it's true."_

_ "Come on, Kiki, you should know better than anyone I'm real."_

_ "Out there, but here…you're just a figment of my imagination." We were quiet for some time, staring at each other. _

_ "When did you start to doubt things?" I was shocked at his emotionless question. _

_ "Wha-what?"_

_ "You don't believe like you used to. It was your faith in flying that inspired me to continue _my _dream of flying. Kiki, you used to believe everything was possible."_

_ "We were thirteen; I've grown a lot since then." He obviously didn't like my reason. He was right, however. I used to believe nothing was impossible. _

_ "If you want to see me again, believe it can happen." He began disappearing, like every other moment I saw him in my dreams._

"She's been asleep for hours," I heard a voice speak softly. My hair was being streaked by a gentle hand. I began to slowly open my eyes. Everything was blurry at first, but after I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, it was all clear. Ursula and Louis were standing in front of me. My head was laid against Osono's shoulder the entire time I was asleep, and it was her hand that stroked my long, black hair. Jiji, Lilly, and there four kids were sitting at my feet. Kimi was sitting on the other side of me next to her father. Nori and Aimi had just walked in and joined the group.

"Is she awake?" Nori asked. It was a foolish question, seeing as though I was wide awake at that moment.

"Hey, everyone," I whispered. Smiles filled the room, but mine remained a sigh. The door to Tombo's was closed, as it had been all night. Osono had black, droopy eyes, indicating she had been up all night, waiting for the doctors to come out and tell us the news.

"How are you feeling?" Aimi asked.

"Better than yesterday," I replied, "Any news?" She shook her head. I sighed and looked around all my friends. They all were here to support me, but more importantly, Tombo.

"Maybe they're still operating on him," I suggested. No one said a word. They just nodded and agreed with my opinion.

"Kiki, I don't want to be a downer on things," Jiji started, "but the doctors came out a few minutes before you woke up." I stared at him, eyes wide open. Lilly gave him a growl, a mean one, like he was not supposed to tell me.

"If the doctors are already out, then what have they said about Tombo?" I asked everyone.

"Did Jiji tell you?" Osono asked strictly.

"Does it matter? You all lied. You did not tell me they finished. I want to know what happened!" I was losing my temper. Kimi became frightened and held onto her father's arm.

"I…I'm sorry, Kimi. I was angry. I just want to know what's going on." Everyone exchanged questionable looks at each other, not one looking at me.

"They told us Tombo was in the later stages of his coma. In this part, only time will tell if he comes back or not."

"So…there's a chance he could make it?" Osono nodded and I began to smile slightly. Knowing there was even the slightest chance of a recovery was enough for me.

_If you want to see me again, believe it can happen. _His words kept repeating in my mind. They meant something to me. I had to believe he was going to come back to me. I had to trust in him. I had to trust in myself…

"Well, I'm starving," Ursula said, breaking the silence, "let's all go to the cafeteria, okay?" Osono perceived the message and stood up, along with her husband and Kimi. Louis joined them as well.

"Wait," Nori said, "I thought you hated the hospital's-" I didn't see it, since my head was staring at the floor, but I could hear Ursula step on her foot.

"We'll bring you back something," I heard Nori mumble. Everyone left me alone. They knew I wanted to be alone at that moment. I needed to think. I felt a gentle hand grasp my shoulder.

"Don't worry, he will be fine." Those were the kindest words he ever said to me, since he never really said much. I smiled and nodded. He joined his wife and daughter on their way to the cafeteria.

"Believe….I have to believe…" But how could I? I was sitting here, alive and well, while Tombo was in that dark room fighting for his life. What was I supposed to do? What was supposed to make me believe everything would make this whole mess disappear?

I looked up at the door. It had been closed for hours. Tombo was trapped in there, and no matter how much he wanted to fight and break free, he couldn't. The coma was trapping him in there, and I had to stop it.

I didn't know whether to go in and see Tombo or wait. The doctors were finished operating on him, and it seemed as though his heart rate was stable. In the next few hours, he would either wake up or go into another shock. Once that happened, all hope would be lost.

But for me, I had already lost hope.

I stood up, staring at the door intently. I used to think Tombo was invincible, like no person or thing could stop him. Flying was the last thing I would have thought to put him in this position. I walked step by step, inching my way to the door. It was as if I wasn't moving myself, like a force was pulling me towards him. Towards Tombo.

My arm reached to seize the doorknob. I held it firmly in my hand, debating whether I should go through or run back to the chair, back to square one. I needed to see it with my own eyes. I had to know. I turned the knob, little by little, opening the entrance.

Everything was still. The beeps seemed to move at a normal pace. The machines showed good readings. The only thing I was not content with was the motionless body lying on the hospital bed. Tombo was such a cordial person. He didn't deserve a life like the one he was living for the past few months.

I walked towards Tombo, resting my body on a chair next to him. I began stroking his somewhat longer hair. It had grown since we were kids, but it wasn't too girly-looking. His eyes were shut, and his chest was the only moving. The tubes helping him breathe were no longer needed, since he began showing signs of improvement a while back.

"Oh, Tombo," I whispered. I didn't think it was true. I thought I would go back to sleep and wake up, finding all of this to be a dream. Nonetheless, this was reality, and it was cruel. I knew he could respond, but I continued talking to him. "I want to believe, I truly do, but I can't. You're still here, and I can't take it anymore. Just, please, wake up." It began as a whisper, which grew louder and louder each time I spoke those words.

"Tombo, wake up! Wake up! Please!" I crossed my hands over his chest, and bowing my head, I cried. I was about to lose the most important person in my life. Flying. Because of flying, I was losing Tombo. I vowed never to fly until he returned.

His return would change everything. Tombo would get his life back, and I would be able to tell him everything. "Tombo, remember when I said I couldn't believe? Well…maybe that's what I need to do. My faith might be able to change everything. I am a witch, anyway. Maybe my magic could reverse something, anything! I guess what I'm trying to say is, if believing you will come back to me will make it happen, then I believe…I believe in you."

And once more, the beeps began quickening in pace. The doctors came flooding in, telling me everything was under control. I stood in the back with one of the nurses, crying on her shoulder.

"Miss," the one doctor said, "I…I don't believe it," I looked up and stared at the doctor. His eyes were fixated on Tombo. The beeps returned to normal. Everything was still once more. Except this time, the motionless body was slowly, but surely, opening their eyes.

**Wha-what? He's waking up? What's he going to say? Tombo hasn't been around for almost four months. He's bound to ask many questions about what's been going on. And also, if you don't remember, Aimi is Tombo's sister. Why wouldn't she be there? You're just going to have to wait until I upload next! There is a slight possibility that it will be up by the end of the weekend, but most likely it will be next weekend. :( Sorry! School's been too busy and taking up my free time. But for now, reviews may encourage me to upload ASAP. ;) Just a thought. Thank yoU!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	12. Chapter 12: Recovery

**Hi everyone! Miss me? Well, if not me then at least the next chapter! This one was tricky. There were so many ideas I had for this, but I knew only one would make the story a little spicy. I was planning on this for a while, but I really hope none of you hate me after. :( But, it's your opinion. So why don't you read it and tell me what think... ;) (Just a hint, that a reminder to review when you finished!)**

**Chapter 12: Recovery**

"Tombo?" My voice was soft, but still audible. I felt tears begin to form. Once his eyes were completely open, I let go of the tears and ran to his side, hugging him.

"Oh Tombo, you're back! You came back to me!" The doctors began removing the tubes and equipment that kept him alive all throughout the long months of his coma. I did not mind them. All I wanted was to be close to Tombo.

"What's going on?" Was Tombo's first question. He did not even seem surprised to see me. After being in a coma for almost four months, he surely would have trouble understanding a few things, like the fact that I was here in Koriko sitting at his hospital bed.

"Copori," the main doctor said, using his real name, "I am Dr. Eiko Watanabe. This may come as a shock to you, but you've been a patient here in the Koriko Hospital for almost four months…in a coma." Tombo stared at the doctor in a puzzled way. He was not even shocked at what he was told. "I would like to run a couple tests on you to see how well you have… recovered." I reluctantly let go of Tombo's hand and let the doctor do his job. He held a minuscule flashlight in his hand, waving it from one of Tombo's eyes to the next. He then used a stethoscope to measure his heart beat.

"Okay, you seem to be feeling alright, but I would recommend some time to rest and relax. The nurses will come back and give you more tests later on." I was very angry with this. "What?" I asked, "He just came out of a coma after four months. He's had plenty of rest." I was not going to let him get away again. Not again.

"While that is true, Copori does seem to be confused. He needs to slow down his thoughts and take things little by little. I would advise you to leave him alone for a while. Your friends and family should have been informed by now and-"

"Tombo!" All I heard were screams and people rushing through the door to see Tombo. Aimi was the first, and then Nori. They were the closest he had to family, since him and Aimi lost their parents when they were very young.

"Oh, it's true! You're awake!" Aimi screamed.

"Yeah, I…I guess so," he said. Confusion stayed in his tone and he stared at each and every one of us, trying to put pieces together.

"How are you feeling?" Osono asked, "It must have been a shock to see Kiki after all this time. She's grown up so much since you last saw each other." I smiled at Tombo, but he did not smile back. In fact, the confusion in his face grew even more intense.

"Kiki?" He asked. I nodded, hoping he would remember the short-haired witch that he had befriended long ago. It seemed like he did not remember me at all. Of course, my hair was longer, I traded in my dark, violet dress for a simple white one, and I was older. He hadn't seen me in over six years.

"Alright," Dr. Watanabe said, "Copori has just woken up after a long coma, and he needs to relax. For now, I want him to rest for a couple hours. Once he's awakened, I would advise only two people per visit." We could not argue with the doctor. He knew what was best for Tombo, so I simply stood up, grabbed his hand and said, "I'll be back. I promise."

* * *

"What's taking so long?" However much I grew older, I did not lose my impatience. We had been waiting for too long. Ursula and Lewis had to discuss which paintings she would use in his gallery, so they left not too long ago. Nori had a job interview to go to, as well as Aimi. Kimi was becoming tired, waiting for her friend to wake up, so Osono sent her and her father home to care for Kimi and the bakery. I felt like her twin at the moment.

"Patience," Osono said, "we must wait. He needs his rest."

"He had four months of rest! What's an hour or two more?" Osono seemed to imagine me as that young, thirteen-year-old girl waiting for adventure, with no care in the world whatsoever.

"Kiki, the doctor said-"

"The doctor isn't Tombo! He doesn't know what he needs!" I shouted. Luckily, no one, especially the doctor, was around to hear that. I sat down and covered my face with my hands. I felt like there was barrier between us, me and Tombo. He was supposed to be mine and I was supposed to be his, but there was this thin barrier blocking everything from happening. It was not fair. Life was unfair.

I heard footsteps walking towards us, but opened the door to Tombo's room inside. Doctor Watanabe, I presumed. He was the only one allowed to enter his room, along with the nurses that aided him.

"Do you think he'll be able to return back to his life?" I asked Osono. I uncovered my face and stared at the door. "Like, will Tombo's life be back to normal?" Osono stared at me and held me close. I needed comfort. "Of course he will!" She replied, "He'll return to college, go back and live with his sister, and things will go about as if this whole incident never happened." For a minute I was relieved. I sighed in contentment, ecstatic to hear Tombo's life had a chance to revert to normal.

Doctor Watanabe came out of the room and removed his stethoscope from his ears to his shoulders. "Copori is doing perfectly well," he said to us, "He is awake and can have visitors. I would advise only-" I didn't care what else he had to say. Once he said Tombo could see us, everything else was meaningless to me. All I saw was the door and Tombo on the other side.

He was sitting up, observing his surroundings. He continued to show confusion. It was as if he had never seen a hospital room before. "Tombo, you're awake…again." Even he had to laugh that. "When Doctor Watanabe said you could see us, I rushed right in. I just…I needed to see you." Osono opened the door and stood next to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright, thanks," He said. Tombo smiled, but it was different. What I saw was someone entirely different from the Tombo I used to know.

"So, did you recognize Kiki the second you saw her?" Osono asked him, "I have to confess, it took me a while to see the resemblance. The things that reminded me were her broomstick and her cats, Jiji and Jin. You remember them, don't you?" Tombo nodded and smiled again. I began to worry for him.

"Tombo," I began, "Are you lying to me?" His face dropped while mine stayed in its seriousness. He looked down at his twiddling fingers and nodded. I was taken back.

"So, you…you're saying…" The words could not come out of my mouth. I was frozen. Something seemed different about him. No, there _was_ something different about him. Like a part of him was missing. And that was where he confessed.

"In all honesty, I don't remember either of you, nor anyone else who came earlier." Gasps filled the air, but none from me. I just sat there, lifeless. I could not believe what he said. How does one forget their family and friends? Osono rushed out to get the doctor, but I stayed. I was frozen in time. My thoughts kept jumping around. _He doesn't know me. He doesn't remember me. Which means he won't understand my feelings for him. If I tell him the truth, he will just become even more shocked than he already is._

"What does this mean, Doctor Watanabe?" I heard Osono ask as she and the doctor entered the room. They stared at a bewildered boy and even more confused girl. "We do not have as much advanced technology as I had hoped we would for this sort of accident, but I would say Copori is suffering from amnesia. He has lost most, or even all, of his past memories." Tears were trying to form, but I would not let them. Tombo would see me cry, and he never had. Of course, he wouldn't remember it, but I did. And if he saw me cry, he would wonder why this girl who he had just met hours earlier, was crying so deeply over him.

"Tombo, can you tell me what the last thing you remember was?" I asked. I was at his bedside, gripping his hand. He stared intensively into my eyes. He was trying hard to remember something. "I…I remember an airplane, I think." My eyes grew wide. "Yeah, I was flying an airplane!" He seemed excited, until he remembered more of what happened. "But something happened to the engine and it failed. I was heading towards a pile of rocks. Then I blacked out."

"It seems he remembers what happened to him," Doctor Watanabe informed us, "but everything else is just a blur to him." I wanted to stay, tell him his memories would come back. I wanted him to tell me he knew the little witch girl that came to Koriko when we were teenagers. I wanted him to tell me he felt the same way I did. But I couldn't have that. One wrong mistake and everything went into flames. My fantasy was burned to a crisp. He was gone. Forever.

I ran out as fast as I could. I just kept running until I made it outside. I rested my head on a tree and let the tears free. I was convinced my Tombo was gone, and this new one was sent to replace him. I wanted to believe Tombo could be saved, that his memories would one day just come to him, but this was the real world. Fantasies such as mine only happened in fairytales.

"Kiki," I soft feminine voice called to me and turned me around. Osono made me look at her directly so she knew I would listen to her. "Doctor Watanabe said there was a chance he could reminisce his memories. All we have to do is guide him: tell him stories, show him videos, and remind him of whom we are to him." I nodded, showing her I understood. I was going to help him in any way I could. Tombo was going to remember me, he was going to remember all the good times we had together, and most importantly, he was going to remember the feelings we had for one another.

**If you already guess that would happen, smart thinking! If you didn't, then I'm glad I surprised you! Kiki is going to have to learn some new skills, like how to help Tombo retrieve his memories. But the question is, how far will she go to remind him... I'm not saying any more, I'll just give it all away! But I really really REALLY hope you would all take the time and review. It means so much to me if you would review. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	13. Chapter 13: Stories of the Past

**Hi again! So, most of you were really really REALLY angry that I had Tombo forget who everyone was. I get it, you all want a happy ending. But for this story to get there, our hero needs to make him remember who he was to himself, to others, and to her. This chapter might be the longest I've written for this fanfic, so please enjoy it! :)**

**Chapter 13: Stories of the Past**

Five days. Tombo had been awake for five days. Everyone had learned of Tombo's amnesia and how, remarkably, the only thing he remembered was the accident. Aimi visited him every day before and after she left for work. Tombo was aware she was his sister, but the relationship they shared was completely severed. Nori, Kazu, Aina, and Lin all visited one time I was there and we all caught up later on in the day. Osono and her husband took Kimi to see Tombo once a day. Ursula and Louis came by twice, both times when I was there. And lastly, there was me.

Tombo figured I was important to him. I went to visit him every single day. I would leave before the sun came up and wait for him to wake up. He would find me sitting in the guest's chair, my head resting on hand and my eyes closed shut. Osono would call the hospital to tell me if I had a delivery, and right after I came back to him. We said our goodbyes before Doctor Watanabe would say Tombo needed to rest, and the day started all over again.

I had just woken up on the fifth day. I had been counting the days that it had been since he had awaken, and also until he regained his memories. I so desperately wanted him to remember me, to remember everyone. We all had a special place in our hearts for Tombo, especially Aimi and me. What was painful for her the most was having to tell her little brother how they're parents died. It was a sad story, and I was in the room when she told it. I had never heard the whole story, mostly because Tombo never wanted to talk about it. It started out the second day he was awake…

* * *

"Aimi?" She had just arrived after work, and I was there after a couple deliveries that day. "So, you're my sister, right?" Aimi sat up and nodded, no smile in her face. I would be feeling the same. If I had a brother or sister who didn't remember me and they had to be sure we were related, I would be feeling terrible. "So, do we have any other siblings?"

"Nope, it's just you and me, bro." He smiled when she called him bro. I saw her want to smile, but she could not. Aimi was afraid, but of what I hadn't the slightest idea.

"And our Mom and Dad?" That was where Aimi looked down at feet. She didn't want to tell him the story again, but knew he wouldn't rest until he heard the answer.

"They…our parents…" She looked at me, and I nodded. I knew he needed to hear it. It wouldn't have been fair to keep it from him. I knew that from experience. When Osono and Ursula deliberately decided not to tell me about Tombo, I felt betrayed and wronged. She continued. "When you were ten and I was twelve, our parents were leaving to go to work and were going to drop us off at school, like any normal day. We were all in the car, and Mom and Dad looked so happy…" It was becoming more and more painful to remember their past, the past she now how to remind her little brother of. They were so young when it happened, and it didn't make any sense. Tears began streaking down her cheeks, but she kept moving forward. "We were almost there, if we had left earlier like we planned to things would have been so different," I placed a hand on her shoulder, showing my sympathetic feelings. "A car was coming the other way, not knowing what he was doing, and crashed into us. You and I were fine, but Mom and Dad weren't." She wasn't able to talk anymore. And there was nothing left to say, either.

"I…didn't know…" Tombo said. But he did know. He wasn't able to remember it, or anything else. I nodded, staring at my feet. There was nothing I could say to make that sound better.

"But you need to know Mom and Dad loved us," Aimi said, trying to brightened up our spirits, "They would have loved Kiki. I know it." I smiled at that. I always wished I had met their parents. "I brought some photos before that," Aimi began searching through her bag, trying to find the pictures she had to jog his memory. She pulled out a stack of pictures, showing them to him one by one. "This one was the picnic trip we took in the forest when you were eight. I remember you got mosquito bites everywhere and said you would never go camping again." She picked out another one. "This was when you became obsessed with flying. Dad took you to an aircraft show and you just loved how anything could soar like that." And more and more pictures after that came. She told him plenty more stories about their childhood, and then she got to one picture I was predominantly interested in.

"It's you," Tombo said, pointing to me. I was astonished. Tombo didn't remember me, but he remembered what I looked like seven years ago. I took the picture and stared at it. It was me and Tombo, flying in the air together. He was in his airplane-bike and I was on my broomstick.

"Yeah," I said, still confused, "how did you know that was me? I don't look anything like I did then."

"I just know," he replied, "Something told me it was you. And you still have that dark hair. And the bow is now around your waist inside of around your hair. Of course, your hair has grown and you're taller than this, but I can tell it's you." I smiled. He remembered. Something is better than nothing, and I was glad to have a part of him knowing me.

"I remember this," I said, "it was almost the end of summer, and you wanted one last ride before school began again. We flew everywhere, even over the ocean!" I was getting too excited, but Tombo didn't seem to mind. He actually enjoyed watching me feel contentment. My chair was right next to his bedside, and we stared at each other's eyes for the longest time. I had the sudden impulse to just give in and kiss him, but I restrained myself. I stared back at the picture one last time before handing it over to Aimi, who, for a second, I forgot was even in the room.

* * *

The time when Nori and her group came in, they shared a lot of exciting tales. "I'm guessing ya don't remember us, do ya?" Kazu said. Tombo shook his head. Kazu was more of a rebel and a street kid. It was hard to believe that Tombo and Kazu had been friends since kindergarten. They were as close as brothers, never letting one down.

"Well, how 'bout I tell ya one of my favorite stories." He sat down in the chair next to me and began. "We were fourteen; just starting school the summer Kiki came in. Man, was freshman year a great time or what?" He asked Tombo like he knew the answer. "Anyway, you were acting like a geek, as always. Not trying to be offensive, but ya dressed kinda like one. So these bullies come in and start, well, bullying you. I was the one who saved your ass from those losers and they never showed their faces on our turf again!" Tombo found amusement listening to Kazu's stories about their high school life. Most of them were about him saving Tombo from some group of kids who wanted someone to bully. I felt bad that I wasn't there, except for his first year. Once I left, it seemed as though things got worse. For him _and_ for me.

"How about the time we went into the Dirigible?" Nori asked. Lin, Aina, and Kazu was excited to go to that topic. "Oh, man, it was crazy! We were, like, a hundred feet in the air. Maybe even a thousand! We were above the whole city, looking down at all the losers who didn't get a chance to go in there like we did!" Kazu was all about parties and having a good time. All his stories involved him and Tombo having a good time. I was uneasy about the next story he was about to give.

"How 'bout Prom?" Lin asked. I was anxious to hear that. Nori, on the other hand, was trying to stop him from telling the story. "So we all get to Prom and under my coat I hid a bottle of vodka to spike the punch bowl, ya know. Anyway, so I make you, Lin, Aina, and Nori distract the teachers there."

"And that's the end of the story!" Nori interrupted, "He spiked the punch, everyone was sick the next day. The end!" Kazu and I were suspicious about her.

"What's wrong, Nori? Don't want to remind Tombo about who his date was that year?" That got my attention, and obviously Tombo's.

"I had a date to the Prom?" Tombo asked. Kazu made it seem like Tombo was unable to get a date, let alone for Prom. I was interested in hearing what Kazu had to say, but I already knew the answer.

"Yeah! You asked Nori!" And my predictions were correct. Nori put a hand to her forehead and shook her head. I felt awkward after that. Even though Tombo didn't know my feelings for him yet, he knew he went to Prom with Nori now, which would bring up some memories I did not want to hear.

"Really? I asked Nori?" Tombo and Kazu were already acting like best friends again. Nori and I, however, just looked at each in an uncomfortable way. She knew how I felt about Tombo, but I wasn't sure about her.

"I'm a little hungry," I said, making an excuse to get out, "Anyone want anything?" Big mistake asking that.

"Sure!" Kazu said, "I'll have three cheeseburgers, one for my good ole buddy, Tombo, chocolate ice cream if they have it, and a soda."

"Would like fries with that, sir?" I asked sarcastically. Tombo chuckled, but Kazu gave me a rude look. I left the room before I said anything else. _"Really? Nori?"_ I thought to myself. As I was on my way to the cafeteria, someone stopped me.

"Kiki!" I turned around to see Nori running after me. "Kiki, listen. What Kazu said, it didn't mean anything. We were going as friends, that was all. And it was years ago! I don't, nor did I ever have feelings for Tombo."

"Nori, I get it," I said, "And it doesn't bother me. Really." I smiled and walked away, knowing in my heart how much I wished I had never heard that story.

* * *

Ursula and Lewis came a couple times, both times when I was there. She was carrying some of her paintings in with her, and Louis was carrying at least three times more than she was.

"Hey, sleepyhead!" Ursula shouted, waking up both me and Tombo. I was not in the mood for a rude awakening like that after the story Kazu gave the day before. But I had a feeling Ursula would give a great story that day.

"Hi, Ursula," Tombo said. He was getting better at remembering who was who. Although once he confused Ursula with Osono and things weren't pretty. But ever since the first day, he never forgot my name.

"How're you feeling, sport?" Louis asked.

"Better than I was a few days ago, I guess," He replied. Ursula grabbed the paintings Louis had in his arms and placed them on the floor, out of view for anyone.

"So, want to hear one of our stories?" She asked. He nodded excitedly. "When Kiki left, you used to come to my cabin all the time," Ursula said, starting the story hastily, "You wanted to help me out a bit with my artwork, so I gave you a summer job. I taught you different painting techniques, like the ones I showed you, Kiki." It was true. When I wasn't working at the bakery or delivering, I would help Ursula with her paintings. "I kept working on that one painting, the one I should you with the moon and the birds and you," She kept referencing back to me. It was his story, not mine. "You wanted to help me, and this was what you did." She took out the painting I hadn't seen in over six years. The face was different, though; it looked more like me. "You painted that, Tombo." Ursula said, pointing to me in the painting. He and I were both astounded.

"I did that?" He asked, "There's no way, that's like what a professional would do."

"Well that makes sense, since you were taught by the best," Ursula said, whipping her back like she was a model. Louis and I chuckled in the back, but she ignored our comments. "You never forgot about Kiki, and she never forgot about you. That's all I wanted to say." Ursula smiled. She gave Louis the paintings again and they stayed only a little while longer before returning to work. Ursula and Louis had to plan what they were going to show in his gallery.

There were so many stories that Tombo had forgotten and that I was learning. In the six years that I was gone, I had missed out on so many moments that would have meant so much to me. If I had gone to their school, if I had just stayed, things would have played out so differently. But I made the decision to stay at home and train to be a master witch, but I stayed too long.

* * *

Kimi had great stories to tell us when she and her parents came to visit. Those two were like best friends. Nothing could separate them. "You and I had so much fun!" Kimi began, "You taught me so many games to play, like hide-and-go-seek and airplane! But the most fun was hearing the stories of the little witch girl, Kiki!" I looked at Kimi with wide eyes, and then back at Tombo. He blushed slightly, as did I. "What exactly did I tell you?" Tombo asked. I wanted to know the answer to that, as did I. "You told me how she could fly on a broomstick and convinced me it was possible! And how she had the cutest hair and the prettiest eyes ever!" More blushing between us happened. He really said those things about me? "I remember one story about how you took Kiki to see the Dir…Dir-i-gible." Kimi was only seven, so she had a hard time pronouncing big words like 'dirigible.' "Anyway, you took her on your bike that had a propeller and you two tried flying without a broomstick! Then, you two almost crashed into a car, but Kiki's magic saved you!" She was mimicking what happened as if she were there herself. Osono and her husband laughed at their daughter's reenactment of what happened that day.

"Wow, I never realized how much fun Kiki and I had back then," He smiled at me, and I returned it. I couldn't tell if he knew my smile was faked. I couldn't show him how disheartened it made me feel that he couldn't remember that moment. One of the greatest moments I had with Tombo.

"Well, I think it would be best if we went back to work," Osono said after a while, "Kimi, you need to eat your dinner and get to bed if you want to make it to your field trip tomorrow." She stood up and smiled, all her teeth showing, except the ones missing.

"Yay! We're going to the zoo and I'm going to see all the animals!" Kimi began clapping and running out of the room. Her father ran after her, trying to make sure she wouldn't get lost in the hospital. Before Osono left, she gave me a glance and said, "Not too much longer, Kiki. I need you to work at the bakery tomorrow morning bright and early."

"Alright, Osono, just a few more minutes." She smiled and left Tombo and me alone.

It was an awkward silence for a while. We just sat where we were, glancing at one another, exchanging smiles and going off to look at the wall and think about what to say to the other. Fortunately for me, Tombo was the one to break the ice.

"So," he began, "in the last few days, all I've heard were stories about my life that my family and friends remember, but that I don't." I nodded in response, and he continued. "But ever since I woke up, you've been the only one to come and see me every day and stay the longest, yet I don't believe you've shared one story about us." I looked at my shoes. There was a reason why I wasn't sharing anything with him. I knew he wouldn't give up until I gave him an answer. "Kiki? Can you hear me?" I looked back up at him.

"Tombo," I began, "I've been keeping the stories of you and me a secret for a reason. I...I just don't want to be hurt anymore than I already am. I feel…no, I know, when I tell you, you'll nod and pretend everything's okay, but in your heart you know I'm right. You don't remember any of us…you don't remember me." Every day that week, I wanted to weep over Tombo's lost memories. I just couldn't take the pain any longer.

"Kiki," Tombo's hand grabbed a hold of mine, "When I hear the stories, something inside my head hurts, like it's trying to remember what they're saying. And when I hear the stories with you in them, you're the only thing that makes sense in it." I didn't know how to respond. I just answered his question from before. I was sure he would like to have heard that story.

"The first day I came to Koriko, it was like a day gone wrong. At first, Jiji, my black cat, and I were flying, and I was trying to show off, being a witch and all." He laughed at that, and I continued, "Well, as I was flying I didn't see there was a giant bus coming right at me, and me being only a witch in training, I panicked. When I landed, one of the police officers was going to write me up, but you got him to go away. You said there was a thief or something, and he immediately ran away to catch him. I snuck away, and you followed me."

"That was the first moment we met," Tombo said. I nodded and kept going. "I wasn't too pleased to see you at first, and I tried getting you to go away, I said something like-"

"Just go away and leave me alone," he said. I looked at him, eyes opened, mouth wide. "What did you say?"

He shook his head. "No, no. That's what you said that day. Go away and leave me alone."

"Yeah, that's…that's exactly what I said. How did you know?"

"I…I just do. I don't know, I just remember someone saying that…" He looked me directly in the eyes, and leaned in slightly. I moved closer, closing my eyes. I wasn't sure what made him do that, but I didn't ask.

"Hi, Tombo! I'm back from work!" Aimi shouted as she walked into the room. I quickly moved back, knocking over a tray full of Doctor Watanabe's equipment. I picked it up and looked back at Tombo. "So, um, I'll…I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow sounds good." Tombo replied. I smiled at him before I left, leaving him and his sister alone. I closed the door, and felt like things were beginning to become more and more complicated.

**So we see he's remembering one person in all of these stories: Kiki. But why? What's so important about remembering Kiki? Well, you all know the answer to that already. And the kiss scene...well, almost a kiss scene... I just wanted to spice things up a bit. You're all pretty mad I had Aimi come in right before the scene you all were waiting for, but it had to be done. There will be plenty of time for them to do all that stuff. But I really hope you liked this. I wanted you all to get a feeling of what Tombo's life was after Kiki left. And the Prom thing, well, I'm sure there will be more talk about that...**

**Anabelle ;)**


	14. Chapter 14: Welcome Home, Tombo

**Hey everyone! So I'm guessing you all are wondering what's going to happen next with Tombo and Kiki. We had a very rude interruption last chapter, but trust me when I say this...there will be more. Sorry! I just love how awkward Kiki got last time when she knocked over the doctor's table. This story needs a little humor, right? Anyway, just as a reminder, I had Tombo and his friends be a year older than Kiki. She's 20 and they're 21. Just letting you know!**

**Chapter 14: Welcome Home, Tombo**

Tombo's recovery was going along smoothly. It had been almost two months since he had awakened from his coma, and was finally able leave the hospital. Doctor Watanabe had told us Tombo was recovering at a fast pace, and that he could move back in with Aimi. Aimi and I helped Tombo pack up his things and we moved him back to Aimi's house. After the stories Tombo heard of the little witch girl who could fly solely on a broomstick, he had asked me to take him for a ride.

During the two months that Tombo was recovering, the seasons had changed. The once breezy fall air had turned to a cold frost. Winter was bad for flying, but it was still one of my favorite seasons. As a child, I would play in the snow and make all sorts of figures. The best part of winter was when it just starts, and the frosty snow slowly falls from sky. The cool breeze starts to become colder, and the wind in my face gives me a tranquil feeling.

"Are you ready?" I asked him. Tombo had never been on my broomstick, and he seemed to be tense. He kept eyeballing the broomstick, wondering if it was safe to fly on. After the incident, he probably never wanted to fly again. Nevertheless, Tombo nodded, and I sat on the broomstick. Aimi was watching us, making sure he wouldn't fall or go through what he already did. He slowly sat behind me on the broomstick, and Aimi began to panic after that.

"Be careful, you two! And go straight to the apartment!" Aimi shouted to us from her car. The things Tombo had in the hospital were in her car, ready to be taken to their home. Tombo, however, was not very eager to go home to lay down in yet another bed for the day. He was a fantasist, like me.

"Oh, c'mon, Aimi! We'll circle around the city and then go to the apartment. I want to see Koriko from the skies!" Aimi knew better than to test with her brother. When he wanted something, he would not rest until he got it.

"One trip around Koriko, and then back to the apartment!" Aimi shouted to us. That put a smile on Tombo's face, as well as mine. I was glad to be spending some time with him outside of the hospital room. The only topics we ever mentioned to one another were things that were happening in present-day. I rarely brought up any stories from the past. I didn't want to feel the same everyone else did. He couldn't remember them, and if I told him some of our memories, it would just remind me that Tombo would never be the same, that his memories were lost…forever.

"Alright, let's get to it!" I shouted. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the wind. It was blowing away from the ocean, which was perfect. Perfect for flying. I kicked my feet off the ground and instantaneously, we were looking down at Aimi, her car, and the roof of the hospital.

"AH!" Tombo shrieked, losing his balance. I was not prepared to let him fall to his doom once again. I grabbed a hold of his arm, the other still holding on to the broom. After he adjusted himself, Tombo calmed himself. We were flying slowly at first. I wanted him to get the feeling of flying for the first time on a broomstick. He would fly in his hand-made airplane, which was completely different compared to flying a broomstick. The airplane runs off of gasoline, whereas a broomstick runs off of heart and soul.

"You okay back there?" I asked him. I could hear his laughter. We were staring at all the small figures of residents walking along the sidewalks and the cars driving adjacent to them. The buildings came across so differently than they do when someone isn't defying gravity. I was flying so high up we were eye to eye with the tip of the clock tower.

"This…this is amazing!" Tombo bellowed. It was nice seeing him take pleasure in flying again. Since the accident, he didn't have the same light in his eye when someone told him of the days were he would soar through the sky. He didn't have the same passion as he did before. "Do you really get to fly like this every day?" he asked me.

"Most days," I replied, "normally when I have things to delivers, but then I just relax and stare at the sky…" He should know the feeling. He should _remember _the feeling. It was tearing me apart from the inside knowing Tombo could not remember the memories we shared. The memories I now had to remember him of. I would rather have someone tell him the stories for me, that way I could save myself the tears.

"Have_ I_ ever flown with you?" Tombo then asked me. Another memory flashes by. The one Aimi was telling him using her pictures. We were flying together, me on my broomstick and Tombo in his airplane, going as far as we wanted to, not letting anything stay in our way.

"In your airplane, we would fly side by side, but never on my broomstick." I answered. I couldn't bear to look at him. His face would make the tears stream faster. Things just weren't the same without the real Tombo with us. I just hoped he would come back, but not like that.

"I don't know why, this is incredible!" he shouted. We were above everything. The whole city looked like a miniature version of itself from where we were. The sky was as blue as the ocean and the snow fell around us. I would look back and see him playing with the snow and sticking his tongue out to catch the small drops that fell from the clouds. I was contented to see Tombo so happy outside of the hospital. He was limited to only a certain amount of activities, and going outside was not one of them.

"Hey, don't you have a black cat that always flies with you?" I turned around to see the smile on his face, like he was remembering something. He must have forgotten that I mentioned Jiji's name almost every day I stayed with him.

"You mean Jiji?" I asked. He nodded excitedly. It was nice to see him happy about something. Being in the hospital, he was restricted from doing most things he wanted to. He hadn't seen Jiji yet, and I was afraid of what he would say, Jiji being the not so nicest cat in the world. "Well, Jiji likes to do his own thing a lot. He stays with his wife, Lilly, and their kids sometimes." It was a quiet ride for the most part. Tombo was busy looking down at the buildings and loving the fact we were flying higher than he imagined possible.

"Hey, you want to see an awesome trick?" I asked. I looked back at him and he gave me puzzled look. While Tombo was in the hospital, I found ways to improve my speed when flying; that way I could return to the hospital in as little time as possible.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked me. I gave a little laugh. Tombo was completely and utterly confused, but that made it all the more exciting. He was in for a special treat.

"Just sit back, hold on tight, and let the broom do the talking!" I leaned in on the broom, ready to show him my new move. He held me closely, knowing if he didn't he would fall off and we would back where we started two months prior. Tombo's arms were wrapped around my waist, and his chin rested against my shoulder. I tried paying no attention to how close we were to each other and concentrated on my newest flying trick.

"Are you ready?" I asked, taking my mind off of the moment for a second. He nodded, and I stared back at the sky. There wasn't a blizzard out; the snow was lightly falling from the sky, landing ever so gently on the ground below. It was perfect for showing him my new skill. "Here we go!" I shouted, and I leaned in further. The broomstick gained speed, going from less than 10 miles an hour to over 60. Buildings passed us at lightning speed, and I made sure to avoid each and every one.

Tombo's grip tightened as his fear of flying kicked in. I changed directions of the broomstick, turning a sharp right at a building we were getting to close to. To make things more interesting, I began declining our altitude and we were flying right next to the cars, passing each one. What was scarier than the ride was that Aimi's car was right next to our broomstick.

"Um, I think my sister's seen us! And she doesn't look to happy!" Tombo shouted. I looked next to us, and there she was. Aimi was shifting her eyes, paying attention to the road and to us. Her facial expression was priceless. I sped up faster and gained altitude to get out of Aimi's way. Instead of gradually flying back up, I pulled the broomstick upward. We were darting straight up to the sky. Once we reached a safe position, I slowed the broomstick down to a gradual pace. Tombo was completely taken aback.

"So, what did you think?" I asked him. Tombo stayed firm, keeping his grip on my waist. He was speechless after the ride we had taken. It took me a while to perfect it, and it saved me a lot of time while delivering, also increasing the time I spent with Tombo. However, lately, the delivery service was becoming more and more popular. I hoped it wouldn't interfere with the time I spent with my friends.

"I…that was…that was awesome!" Tombo shouted, "I haven't had that much fun since…well…since I can remember!" We were both quiet. Silent. It was completely silent. We both knew how limited his memory was, and that just reminded me of everything. I was finally oblivious to all that had happened, and his response brought everything back to me.

"So, what apartment building did Aimi say it was?" I asked him, leaving the previous conversation to be forgotten. We were nearing the clock tower, where most of the apartment buildings were located at. It was also the same place where I had my own flying accident two months before.

"I think she said it was 5B." Tombo replied. I descended down to read the addresses on the apartment buildings. "3B, 4B, and 5B!" I shouted. It was right in the middle of all the apartments that lined up around the clock tower. I lowered us down to the ground and let Tombo depart first.

"So, this is where I live?" He asked. I nodded, and we both stared at the old apartment. Aimi was the only means of income, I had heard, so she took Tombo under his wing. Once he got a scholarship to Koriko University, she made him study all the time to keep that up as well as get a degree when he was finished. Aimi hadn't gone to college, so having her little brother go was the closest she was to it.

"Yep. You and Aimi have lived here since you started college." He looked back at me, shocked once more. It was normal to him with that expression lately. "I go to college?" He asked me. I nodded once more.

"Yeah, Koriko University. You've been there for three years now. Well, now that you've missed a few months, I don't know how your teachers will react." Tombo ignored my last comment. He was only thinking of one thing: college. I didn't understand the big deal. Lots of people went to college. I never did, but that was because I didn't have to. Witches had magic, and we were able to support ourselves without a degree. Nonetheless, the only thing Tombo did as scratch his head. He was trying to remember something, something about his school or his life, or both. Before he had the chance to think, a very enraged driver pulled up to the curb and abruptly stopped. She angrily shut the door to her car and locked it.

"What the hell was that?" Aimi shouted, mainly at me. Tombo was the innocent one, since he wasn't the witch. "I'm driving in my car, knowing that you of all people would do your best to keep him out of harm's way and then I see you flying on your broomstick faster than my car was going! What was going through your mind, Kiki? I thought you would be the most careful around him."

"Aimi, we were just having a little fun!" I yelled, trying to make the situation seem not as bad as it was, "And it wasn't like I wasn't careful. I even asked Tombo if he wanted to."

"Well Tombo can't think for himself at the moment! You need to be the responsible one!" Aimi was extremely pissed off at me for showing Tombo the joys of flying. I thought I encouraged him to consider flying again.

"Let's just go inside and settle down," Tombo suggested, "we've all had a rough time these past few months and I think we should just relax a bit, right Aimi? Kiki?" Aimi's arms were crossed over her chest and she looked away from me. I nodded, answering Tombo's question. Aimi followed, and she rummaged through her purse for the keys.

"I'll make some hot chocolate when we get inside," Aimi said, fitting the key in the hole. Once we heard the click, the door opened. She opened the door and we stared down the long hallway that led to the other rooms in the apartment. Right as you walked in, the staircase heading upstairs was on the left wall, and to the right was the living room. Further down was the kitchen and dining room, and I assumed the bedrooms and bathroom were upstairs.

"Tombo, your bedroom is upstairs, second door to the left. Bathroom is right next to yours, and I guess you can figure everything else out." Aimi informed us. She took a couple of his suitcases and placed them by the staircase, leaving them for us to deal with them. She walked down the hallway to the kitchen and started the hot chocolate. Tombo and I each grabbed a suitcase and walked up the stairs. Along the wall were pictures of Tombo and his sister, laughing and smiling. Some were of Tombo and his friends as well. I noticed him staring at each picture, trying to remember where it was taken and why he looked so happy.

I nudged his arm, motioning him to continue walking. We made it to his bedroom, the first time I've seen it. It seemed like the first time for Tombo, as well. The bed was facing the door under a window. His closet was to the left and his desk straight across from it. his room screamed aviation freak: pictures of him flying surrounded the walls, as well as miniature planes and aircrafts. He was definitely still into flying.

"Wow, I must have really enjoyed flying," Tombo said, setting his suitcase on the ground by his bed. I set mine next to his and examined the room. The pictures were mainly of him and his bicycle airplane, but there was one picture of him flying next to me. Him in his plane, me on my broom.

"Yeah, you really did," I whispered. Tombo sat on his bed and I followed. Our eyes moved around the room, not touching each other's. It wasn't the time. I had to be more comfortable with the situation. Even though it had been two months since we had discovered his amnesia, I still needed to adjust. He was going to have to start out fresh again, redo his life. I would have to help guide him, and that would be the hardest job if I couldn't tell him my feelings.

"Alright!" Aimi said, bursting into his room. She was carrying three glasses of hot chocolate in her arms and we both took one. Aimi raised her glass high up in the air and said, "Welcome home, Tombo."

**Aww, cute little welcomine home party. However, next chapter might not be so happy. Or is it the one after that? Or both? And why am I telling you this? I just want to get your adrenaline running. With winter comes holidays, and with holidays come presents, which means Kiki si going to be pretty busy. She won't have the time to spend with Tombo...not like Nori. Ugh! Stop me! I'm a spoiler! Gah, I think it's about time I shut up and let me hear what you guys have to say. That'd be real nice. Thirty seconds is all it takes! I really appreciate it! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	15. Chapter 15: Kiki's Risky Dilemma

**Hi guys! Happy Halloween! Crazy night, especially since there was a full moon -_- creeeeepy! Haha, anyway, my school let us dress up and I was the best valley girl ever! My 3d glasses made the outfit :) Back to our story here, this chapter doesn't really have anything different; it's mainly just to keep the story flowing. However, there are many parts you may want to read, hopefully. And, if you hadn't read my other fanfic, I have to tell you guys some bad news. :(**

**Chapter 15: Kiki's Risky Dilemma**

"You can get unpacked later; right now I think we all should just spend some time together and relax." Aimi told us. We all were sitting on Tombo's bed. His room was so messy when we first walked in, but Aimi said she wanted to wait until he was awake and feeling better, so he could clean up his own mess. It was her way of knowing that Tombo was going to wake up, and cleaning his room would be the first thing to do.

"Is my room always like this?" Tombo asked. He had noticed the unmade bed, the clothes coming out of the hamper, and the piles of papers and notebooks spread across his desk. "Only when your big sister doesn't nag you to clean it," She said. We all had a good laugh there. It was hard laughing nowadays. No matter what happened from that day on, Tombo would still be oblivious to his past. That little thought was running through my mind every day and every night, and I could not dispose of it.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Aimi shouted, "The airplane that you…well, the one that put you through all of this...is being repaired! They found out the problem with it!"

"Really?" Tombo asked. He seemed extremely excited to hear it. It was nice seeing Tombo so happy for something, especially when it involved flying.

"Yeah! There was a malfunction with the engine, but Kenta, the engineer in Koriko, said he can fix it for you!"

"That's amazing, Aimi!" I was excited for Tombo. Once he was well enough to go back to school and get on with his life, he would most definitely return to his aviation practices. We all went for another sip of our hot chocolate. The marshmallows she placed in mine were now a light auburn-brown instead of its normal snowy white that matched the weather outside. I knew Aimi would pay extra attention during the snowy weather. She wasn't going to let him outside without someone, preferably her. There were too many ways he could get hurt, mainly from slipping on ice or freezing.

"Well, I finished," Aimi said, gulping down the last of her hot drink, "Anyone else finished?" Tombo handed her his drink and I went to give her mine. I was hoping to get some more alone time with Tombo. I wanted to see if what happened a couple months ago was real. Even though he had no memories of me, he still wanted to kiss me, and I wanted to kiss him. It would be perfect if Aimi left us alone.

However, Aimi had other plans for me.

"Kiki, why don't you help me? I need you to make a delivery, anyway." Aimi said. She walked out of the room without saying another word. I looked at Tombo and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't keep her waiting," I said, standing up. As I headed for the door, Tombo said, "Good-bye, Kiki." I turned around, looking at his innocent face. He was the victim of something terrible, and I gazed into his beautiful eyes, those eyes that could see me, but not know me. Tombo was confused and scared inside, hiding his feelings from everyone. He woke up with a limited memory, and when we all came in claiming to have known him most of his life, he was frightened. Witches could tell these things. Feelings aren't something that go unnoticed by us.

I walked closer to him, sensing his fear grow weaker. He was comforted by my presence. I place the cup on the table and wrapped my arms around him. It took him a while to do the same, and I felt my eyes tear up slightly. I hid them so Tombo wouldn't notice. "Bye, Tombo. And remember, if you ever need to talk to someone, you can consult me." I looked him in the eyes when I said, "I'll always be here for you." I let go and picked up the cup. Gradually, I made my way to the small kitchen where Aimi was waiting impatiently.

"Well, you sure took your sweet time." Aimi said. Her hand was on her hip and the other on the counter, tapping her fingers. One finger after the other. She was angry. I placed the cup in the sink next to the other two and mimicked her position.

"Is this about the flight? We were just having a little fun, don't worry about it." Unfortunately, being the overprotective sister, Aimi did.

"But I _have_ to worry about it," Aimi whispered, hoping Tombo wasn't listening, "I _have_ to make sure Tombo is alright. And you should, too."

"I do worry about it, but if Tombo is going to have any fun in the next few weeks, he can't just sit in this apartment and do nothing."

"I agree, he should have some fun in his life, but he doesn't have to take risks. He already took one in that airplane, and I don't want to see it happen again." Which made absolutely no sense since she just said Kenta was going to fix it for him.

"What about what you said back there about Kenta fixing his plane for him?" I questioned. She turned around and left the kitchen, heading for the living room. She sat on the couch, motioning me to follow suit.

"This time, I am making sure _nothing_ goes wrong. It was just so important to Tombo; he deserves a chance to fly in it again." I followed her command and sat next to her on the couch. Through the window, the snow fell at a snail's pace, making its way to the ground below. Aimi tensed at the sight of each snowflake falling. She was afraid; afraid of what could happen to Tombo during the winter season. "Aimi, nothing is going to happen. He's safe with us. You and I will make sure of that."

"How do you know that? And don't say it's 'a witch's way of knowing these things.'" I placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "I know he'll be safe because I know you and I will do everything in our power to make that happen." I could tell Aimi didn't believe me, so I brought up one of our most tragic memories of Tombo, one that we both remember so well.

"Remember the Dirigible?" I said. At the sound of that word, that one, powerful word that meant life or death to Tombo, she started listening. "I did everything in my power then to make sure he would be alright. I wouldn't let anything happen to him, and now, I will do the same as I did then." I stood up and walked to the door. I left my broomstick there and took it in my arms. "Good-bye, Aimi, I'm guessing you don't really have anything for me to deliver. You just wanted to talk to me. And…I'm sorry for today. It won't happen again." I opened the door to be welcomed by the cold, winter air. I closed the door, sat on my broom, and flew away. I decided to take the long way home.

I was not in the mood to be stopped by anyone, so I flew up as high as I felt necessary. I couldn't hope that what Aimi was saying wasn't true. She was right; Tombo was going to need to be careful. He had enough accidents to last a lifetime, and he didn't need another on his list. And I didn't need another reason to spend hours in the hospital at his bedside.

The Dirigible incident was enough, having almost plummeted to the ground at 200 feet in the air. If I had listened to my parents and stayed at home for an extra month or so, Tombo would have been dead. If I had listened to Jiji and left Koriko to find another town, Tombo would be dead. If any of the past events leading up to Tombo's fall had been altered in one way or another, Tombo would be dead for sure. It was as if I supposed to come to Koriko; I was supposed to meet Tombo and be his friend, that that day I would save him from his inevitable death. That I was supposed to fall in love with him.

And this was no different than it was when I was thirteen. I was going to save him again. I would help his memories come back. I was not going to stop until it happened. That day, I could picture it perfectly. He would remember me and we would confess our love for each other. It was meant to happen, like everything else was.

The snow began to fall harder. It was a warning telling me to go home. The air was frosty and that hot chocolate didn't last long out there. I changed directions for Osono's bakery and flew down. In the days before Christmas, the snow descends the hardest and the heaviest. I doubted people would be able to go to and from anywhere for a few days. I would be trapped in the attic with Jiji and in the bakery with Osono.

The bakery was the last building on the rocky road. As I descended down in the backyard, I heard the door to the bakery open. "Kiki!" I turned around to see Osono, Jiji, and Jin inside the bakery. They must have figured that it would be safer there. "Kiki, come in here!" I followed her orders and ran inside the house. I didn't notice the patch of ice right before the door, and I slipped on a patch of ice and landed head first into Osono. The wind blew the door shut and I toppled off of Osono, placing both of my hands on my forehead. Osono sat up and did the same. "Oh, I hate the winter." Were the only words to come out of her mouth. I stood up and gave her my hand. I pulled her up and she locked the door twice, making sure that if the wind changed directions, the door would stay put.

"I was just flying a half hour ago and then this storm comes out of nowhere!" I shouted. I picked up my broom that had fallen on the ground and laid it against the wall. Jiji and Jin ran up the side of it until they reached the top, then they jumped onto the counter. Jiji seemed ready to give me an earful, while Jin was comfortable the way he was. I hadn't heard him say anything since we had arrived in Koriko. He was always a quiet cat, but not that quiet.

"So, how's lover boy?" Jiji asked in the sarcastic tone he would never get rid of. Not even in his middle-age would he stop being sarcastic.

"Oh, be quiet, you!" I said to him, "Tombo's fine. He just moved back in with Aimi. Although, I don't think I'll be going there any time soon." I bowed my head and walked out of the kitchen to the upstairs. I was going to have to stay in their house for the night. I was not going to risk going outside again. It was too dangerous to be out there in that weather.

"Why wouldn't you be going back there?" Osono said as she, Jiji, and Jin followed me up the stairs. "I would have guessed you would go there as often as you went to the hospital!" I walked over to the couch and placed a pillow there, along with a couple blankets to keep myself warm during the night. I didn't want to mention the flight to Aimi's. "It may have something to do with me taking somewhat of joyride with Tombo on my broom." Osono went nuts. It was a big deal to everyone but Tombo and me.

"You what?" She shouted. I sat on the couch and covered my face with my hands. Adults always took everything so seriously. It was amazing what I could do with a broomstick; Tombo saw it, but everyone else thought it was too dangerous. "Kiki, you of all people should know how dangerous it can be to fly on that broom! You've almost fallen too many times, I don't want to see what would happen if Tombo did right after he had just woken up after so long! Why would you put him in such a position?"

"Because I knew what I was doing," I said calmly, looking at her, "because I knew that Tombo would be safe. I would _never_ do anything that would hurt Tombo in the least bit."

"Kiki, you're still young; your definition of what is safe is much different than mine or Aimi's. We're older and more experienced. What you think is okay may not be for us." I looked away, feeling treated like a child. I was old enough to understand the difference between what is harmless and risky.

"Okay, I already told Aimi this, and I'll tell you the same. It won't happen again." I was done talking about the current situation. I just wanted to rest and forget about the blizzard outside. "Can I please get some rest now?" Jiji and Jin jumped onto the couch and curled up into two black balls. It didn't take long for them to get comfortable on Osono's couch.

"Alright," Osono sighed, "just remember, tomorrow is going to be a very long day for you." She walked off to her room, but I had to stop her. "Wait!" I shouted, "Wait. What do you mean by that?"  
"Kiki, did you forget?" She asked me in a very surprising tone, "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! You're going to be extra busy with delivering presents everywhere!" Osono left to rest for the night while I sat up and thought. I had almost forgotten of the wintry holiday. I had been so busy spending time with Tombo and helping him move that I had completely forgotten what day it was.

"Christmas Eve?" I whispered to myself. The month of December was already coming to an end. I stared out the window to the snow falling down. It was becoming more peaceful, like a fluttering butterfly in the spring. I laid my head back to the pillow and pulled the blanket over me. I never took my eyes of the snow until they could not be open any longer.

**So, looks like Kiki is going to have to be more careful around Tombo. She is the adventurous kind, always taking risks. In normal circumstances, that would be fine with Osono and Aimi. But after his accident, they have been doing everything they could to keep him safe. I know, not a lot went on this chapter. Which makes my "bad news" even worse. Starting tomorrow, I will be working on my original story. Not for fictionpress, but for me. I want to get it started and try to finish most of it by the end of November. But I PROMISE, when December comes, I will be back! Thanks for all my readers and reviewers, and a special thanks to Vampireninja101! Thanks for commenting on all my chapters! **

**Anabelle ;)**


	16. Chapter 16: Christmas Delivery

**...Hey everyone! I know what you're thinking, and im SOOOOO SORRRYYYY! I was planning on putting this up like 2 weeks ago, but I barely had time to work on it and thne finals came up and studying became my number 1 priority. But, finals finished today and I just HAD to finish this! I think this is one of my longest chapters. I wanted to give you guys a lot of reading since I put this off for SOOOOO LONG! Anyway, it pretty much goes with the season and I just hope you guys like it. :) P.S., a little "blast from the past" moment from the movie. You'll know it when you see it ;)**

**Chapter 16: Christmas Delivery**

I woke up early the next morning with an aching back. I had almost forgotten that I had slept on Osono's couch because of the terrible storm that prevented me from going to the attic. The first thing I saw was the television screen showing the news. They were saying how this Christmas was going to be the heaviest snowfall Koriko would ever see. Which is how my day started the way it did. I had forgotten about Christmas!

"Oh no!" I shouted. I pulled the blanket off of me and ran to the back door passing poor little Kimi holding a tray of bread. I was foolish to think the patch of ice from the night prior had somehow magically melted in this freezing temperature, since I had a déjà vu moment where I slipped on the ice patch again.

Luckily this time I didn't run into anyone. I just fell on my knees and got right back up. I ran up the wooden steps to my room in the attic and closed the door, not to let the cold air in. The window, thankfully, was already closed, so the room was toasty warm. I was still wearing my dress from the previous day, which was not a very good sign. I had almost nothing else to wear. The rest of my clothes weren't suited for this type of weather. It hadn't been this cold in Koriko ever, Osono said. I rummaged through my diminutive pink bag. The only things I could find were undergarments, a couple nightgowns, and my dark, violet dress. It didn't fit me anymore, so there was no point in wearing it. "But if I make the dress longer and my size…" I whispered under my breath. It was good for me to brainstorm, because most of the time I came up with great ideas. I set the dress on one of the chairs at the round table. I raised my hands, and the dress lifted up into the air. I studied every side for what seemed like hours until I started working. I made the length almost twice as long, since I had grown some inches since the last time I had worn it. I made the sleeves longer to match the length of my arms. The dress seemed to be able to work. It was my size now, and it would probably help a certain someone remember some things about me.

He remembered me as a young teenager, but he didn't recognize me now. Maybe if he saw me wearing the violet dress, it would trigger something in his brain. It hurt me to know that Aimi's photographs couldn't do any good for Tombo's lost memories, but it gave me some hope to know the part of me Tombo has been hanging on to was still there in his mind. He couldn't let go of me, and I won't let him.

I was reluctant to wear the dress at first. I hadn't worn it over four years. It was a memory of my past, of the time I spent in Koriko as a witch in training. That was what the dress was a symbol of. Every new witch in training wore a violet dress until she became a master witch. Normally, I would have kept the dress for another two years, but I passed the witches' test at age sixteen. That was when I began wearing the white dress. It was so much more beautiful and mature-looking than the violet one.

_Just do it, just do it, _I kept repeating to myself. I had to wear it. What else was I to do, wear dirty clothes? So I sucked it up and took off the dress I was wearing and threw it on my bed. I made sure to wash it so I had something to wear in the morning. I picked up the violet dress that held so many memories. I picked up the dress and put it on. It actually wasn't as bad as I used to think it was. I used to think it was horrendous and that any color would have suited me better. But now that I was wearing it after so long, it was much more appealing to me than it was before. I noticed Jiji had followed me in and had watched me recreate the diminutive dress.

"You're wearing that?" He asked, like I would never have dreamt of that idea. I took the brush from the table and began brushing my long, black hair. Last time I wore my violet dress, my hair barely passed my ear. Now, my hair flowed down to my chest.

"Yeah, why not?" I said, acting as though it were no big deal, "I have nothing else to wear." He jumped onto the table and sat there, staring at me brush my hair.

"I'm just saying you used to hate that dress!"

"Well, maybe I want to try it out again," I say. I didn't mean to sound aggravated, but I was not in the best mood. I knew what the day was going to be like for me. Flying around on my broomstick and delivering presents to everyone in Koriko. I liked flying everywhere and seeing new places and new people, but having to work was going to be a drag. I enjoyed delivering when it first began, but having done it for seven years makes one rethink their game plan. It made me wonder what life would be like if I did something other than run a delivery service.

"Do I really want to do this for the rest of my life?"

"What was that?" I hadn't realized that I was saying my thoughts aloud, and Jiji almost heard me. Thankfully I was too quiet for his catlike ears. "Nothing; forget I said anything." I was finally dressed, my hair was brushed to perfection, and I was ready for one of my busiest days at work.

I walked out the door to the cold Koriko air. It had such an enthralling aroma. Back where I was from, no one had ever seen snow. The first time I came to Koriko, I thought the world was ending when I saw frozen rain falling from the sky. Fortunately, Osono filled me in. I walked down the wooden steps into the ankle deep snow. I was careful enough not to slip on the ice patch a third time. That would have just been downright embarrassing.

I made it to the door. What was I to do, just walk in and pretend like I wasn't wearing the old dress I used to as a child? Normally, it wouldn't be a huge deal, but something made me scared to walk in there. Something was saying that this dress was going to change a lot of things.

For better or for worse, it was not up to me. I toughened up and opened the door with my head held high and walked it. Everything was fine at first. Osono's husband was hard at work and didn't pay attention to my entrance. Kimi looked at me and smiled. She must have liked the dress. Maybe if I return it to its original size, I could give it to her.

And then Osono came in. I placed my folded white dress and grabbed a tray and saw her standing there, just staring at me. "What is it?" I asked, even though I knew the answer to my own question. She was astounded. When I first came here, all I would talk about was how much I hated that dress. Even though it still looked silly and childish, I felt drawn to it. It was almost as though the dress was calling to me (or do I sound crazy thinking that way?).

"You're…you…that dress…" She was speechless. I looked down and eyed my dress. I was pretending it was no deal, but she was reacting as though Tombo's memory had suddenly returned. "Why? I thought you hated it! You told me countless times how much that dress looked repulsive on you!" I lowered my head, but kept my eyes still locked on hers. In general that would be taken as an insult. "Not that it doesn't look good on you, it really does! I mean, why after all this time would you just start wearing it again?"

"Well," I began, "since I couldn't go to the attic and change into my nightgown, I had to sleep in my dress. I was going to put it in the wash." She noticed the dress that I had laid there moments ago and picked it up.

"Let me do that," she replied, "you get back to work. And I have a little surprise for you when you're done." I was encouraged to hurry with the bakery work, wondering what she had in store for me. I was disappointed to see that it was more work. She walked me to the coat closet upstairs and opened the door, only to show me my worst nightmare.

"These are the presents that were delivered this morning!" Osono said. The closet was filled to the brim with gifts. Some were small, square packages, but others were as tall as I was. I doubted it was possible for all of those presents to have been delivered by the end of the day, and Osono told me I had to be finished by ten o'clock if I wanted to make the Christmas party on time.

Every year since the year I came, Osono and her husband hosted a Christmas Eve party and invited almost a quarter of Koriko. The house normally would not be able to hold as many people as they do, but with a little rearranging, things always worked out.

However, returning to my problem, I wasn't sure if I was going to even make the party, let alone be there by ten o'clock. I was going to have to work all day and fly at my fastest to be able to make it before everyone left.

I was being so negative. Why did I not trust myself? If I organized the presents and delivered the ones at the houses near other delivery spots, then it shouldn't have been too much trouble. Osono helped me take the presents out of the closet and we organized them by sections of Koriko. The country side was the easiest. There were only four gifts to be delivered in that area, one being to my first delivery house. The others were nearby the family. About ten of the gifts were to be delivered to the apartment buildings by the clock tower. I recognized one address. It was Nori's apartment. She lived a couple apartments down from Aimi and Tombo. In fact, the gift was from them. The note said "Love, Tombo and Aimi."

_"Love?"_ I thought to myself. I recognized Tombo's handwriting, and he definitely wrote the note. I didn't understand why they weren't going to give her the gift at the party; all of them were invited. Nevertheless, I tried ignoring the "L" word and continued organizing my deliveries. The town homes were going to be the hardest part. Each gift was scattered around that general area by blocks. I had almost thirty gifts to deliver in that area. It was going to be a long Christmas Eve for me.

"Okay," I said, holding a list of addresses and sections of Koriko I made, "I think I've got a plan. First, I'll head for the countryside and give them their gifts. It shouldn't be too hard, since there aren't that many gifts over there. I'll rush back here and grab the apartment gifts, which also shouldn't be much of a problem since the buildings are so close. And then the townhomes…." I still wasn't sure how that was going to turn out, but I didn't have time to rearrange anything. Osono and Kimi helped me carry the presents to my attic. It would be easier to go there than back into the bakery. The piles were organized by the places where I was going.

"I have something that might help with the presents," Osono said. She sent Kimi to get something moments ago, and I was confused as to why. She returned quickly, and in her grip was a large, red bag. I was Koriko's very own Miss Santa Claus.

"Oh, Osono this is perfect!" I shouted. I ran over to her and gave her the biggest hug. I turned around to Jiji and he was already at the tip of my broomstick, along with Jin. Jin was always a sly cat; you never knew when he would slip in or slip out, and his silence was another source of it. I never knew why he was silent or lonesome; Jin just liked to keep to himself.

"Are you two ready for our busiest trip yet?" I asked them.

"Even more than the last Christmas at Koriko?" Jiji asked. I frowned. That Christmas was hard, but not as hard as what we were about to face. Ignoring his question, I put the gifts that were to be sent to the countryside in the sack and pulled the rope to shut it. I tied the rope to the front of my broom and carried it outside. Jiji and Jin followed me out, but Kimi and Osono stayed in the doorway. It was just like before: me taking off for another round of deliveries, wearing my dark, violet dress. The only thing different was that I wasn't wearing the ribbon in my hair, and the fact that I was six years older.

I got into position. A light wind started blowing in all directions from the power I held. I slowly floated into the air, my feet barely touching the ground. I heard the awe in Kimi's voice as I shot up a hundred feet into the air. I was close enough to touch the clouds.

But there was no time for fun and games. I had to focus on the task at hand. It was just after midday, and I had over forty presents to deliver by the end of the day. I headed south for my first delivery. I wanted to become more comfortable with the people I delivered to, so I made sure our first stop was one I was quite familiar with. Though their son was a spoiled brat at the time, it had been six years since I last saw them. He would be at least fourteen years old, if not older. He probably didn't remember me.

We arrived at their doorstep in no time. The snow had covered the ground surrounding the homes, making it seem like a winter wonderland. I desperately wanted to stop what I was doing and just play in the snow. I was close to if Jiji hadn't brought me back to reality.

"Kiki, aren't you going to ring the doorbell?" I turned my attention to the door in front me. I pressed the button and searched the bag for the present I was to give to them. The door opened, and a tall, bulky boy stood in front of me. He was a little taller than me, but I knew instantly who it was.

"Kiki?" He asked. I nodded and smiled. It was nice that he remembered me after all the years that had past. He was very young the last time I saw him, and I only made a few deliveries to his house.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?" I said. We both had a good laugh at that one. There was only one witch in Koriko, and no one else carried around a broomstick, two black cats, and wore a dress like mine. "I just came by to drop off a present from your aunt," I said, handing him the gift. He looked so much more mature than he did before. I could see he was starting to grow a mustache, and his voice was very deep. But the sound of wrapping paper being torn off the box brought me back in time to the little boy inside of him.

"MOM!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Auntie got me that kazoo I wanted!" He took it out of the box and began blowing into it. The noise was wretched, and I told him I had to get going.

"I'm crazy busy today, with the season and all," I said. Even though it was the truth, it was a great excuse not to listen to that anymore. I closed the bag and tied the rope to my broom. Jiji and Jin jumped onto my shoulders and we were already up to the clouds. I could faintly hear the kazoo's noise, and was just glad to be away from it.

"That kid is still as annoying as he was seven years ago!" Jiji complained. Jin didn't know much about him, but knew enough by his father's constant complaints about Koriko back when we left the first time.

"He's not that bad," I said, "he's just…silly and fun. He's like me, someone who doesn't give up on the joys of life." Some people called me a free spirit. I loved life so much. Being able to fly was just a little perk to enjoying what was normally seen as impossible. Witches used to be looked down upon because of our powers and skills, but once we started helping others with our magic we were seen as remarkable people.

We went to the other houses and finished the countryside in no time. My next stop was the apartment buildings. I had plenty more to deliver there, one including Nori…from Tombo and Aimi.

I didn't know why it was bothering me so much that Tombo and Aimi got her a gift. They had been friends with her longer than they have with me, and she was practically like family. Maybe it was the "love, Tombo and Aimi" part I didn't like so much. When I heard that she and Tombo went to their senior prom together, I was pissed. Sure, they only went as friends, and I had been away at the time, but something about that made me feel…uneasy.

I made it back to the bakery and flew to the ground. I ran up the stairs to the attic and saw the pile of presents for the apartments. It was very convenient that these presents were all going to the same area. The townhomes, however, were going to be a completely different story. Some were going to places I had never gone to. I haven't delivered to every part of Koriko, and I don't know everyone there.

But nevertheless, I had a job to do and that was what I was going to do. I had a duty to the people of Koriko. I placed the presents in the bag and took off into the air, ready for another round of present deliveries.

**Hmmm, Kiki back in her old dress? A little reminder of the immature witch girl we all know and love :) But on to more pressing matters, what's up with Nori? She's becoming a problem for Kiki. Kiki thinks Nori is trying to steal Tombo away from her (which is funny because she and Tombo aren't even together). I just making love triangles! Love squares are even more fun! (hint, hint) Maybe we'll see that...Thanks for everyone who was being patient and waiting for this chapter. I'll try my best to put the next chapter up, maybe Christmas morning? I don't know, a little nice Christmas present for you all. Thank you again!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	17. Chapter 17: Three Christmas Stories

**Hi guys! Sorry I didn't reach my goal of putting this up on Christmas, but my parents forbid me from doing any writing while we had guests over :( But I guess two days after isn't so bad, is it? This chapter is a little different. It still follows Kiki's journey to deliver all the presents, but we have little stories about the people she delivers to. And the ending...well, I'll let your minds run wild for that.**

**Chapter 17: Three Christmas Stories**

**Story 1: A Severed Friendship**

"Thank you, Kiki." The woman said as she took the gifts I delivered to her apartment. Thankfully, that house had three of the ten gifts I had to delivery to the apartments. Two of the kids were at the woman's ankles, begging their mother to let them open gifts a day early. The third was the oldest, a teenager just a few years younger than me. He was in the corner, standing there silently as he watched his mother struggle with the two youngsters.

"No problem, have a merry Christmas!" I said, and ran to the next apartment, 4A. That was Nori's address. I rang the doorbell and searched the sack for her gift, the one with the "Love, Tombo and Aimi." It made me so angry. Love? Of course they all love each other, but there were two kinds of love. Love as in "I love you as a friend or family," and then there was love as in "I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side." It made me wonder which "love" Tombo intended.

Nori opened the door. She had curlers in her hair and a bathrobe on. The party didn't start for another five hours, so she had plenty of time to finish getting ready. "Oh, thank God it's you!" She shouted, "If it were someone else, I would have been completely embarrassed!" We both had a good laugh at that. "Wait…Kiki, you're wearing your old dress…"

I looked down at the dress and smiled. It felt nice wearing it again, and nice that others noticed. "I couldn't wear my other one, so I figured, why not give this one a try?" I quickly changed the subject to avoid an awkward silence. "I came over to drop off this present…" I said, "it's from Tombo and Aimi." I handed her the gift and she looked at the tag. I wanted to leave.

"Kiki, can we talk?" Exactly what I didn't want her to say. Not only because I still had thirty more gifts to deliver, but because I didn't want to hear what she had to say. I knew she and Tombo had a good relationship, and in the time I was gone, a lot of things could have happened between them.

"I still have a lot of presents to deliver before the party, so…I best be going now." I started walking down the steps, but Nori grabbed my arm and pulled me back. She obviously didn't understand that I was in no mood to reminiscence her going to prom with Tombo, or uncovering any other secrets she didn't share with me (though I'm glad she didn't if there were any).

"Kiki, it meant nothing! Why are you holding a grudge over this?" Like she didn't know why. I was becoming impatient with her. I snapped. I told her everything about how I felt. All the feelings I had been hiding so as not to get into the arguement I was.

"Because you two _went_ together! I couldn't go to Prom, and just thinking of you two there puts certain thoughts in my mind. I tried ignoring it, I _tried _not making it a big deal, but it was! It is! Tombo isn't the same, you know that. And…he doesn't feel the way I do. It's been so hard for me to admit it, but when I first came back, I realized I do feel that way. But this accident…he can't remember me or anyone else! He doesn't remember all the memories we had together, and he doesn't remember the feelings we shared. But in my absence, you took my place, and now I feel like I'm losing him…more than I thought I ever would."

There was a silent pause. I wanted to get on my broomstick and fly away to my attic and burst into tears. But Nori had something I wanted hear. "Kiki, it meant nothing! I went with Tombo because we were friends. I would never do anything like that to you! I know you have special feelings for Tombo. You're my friend too, and I wouldn't do that to a friend." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Trust me." I wasn't sure if I could. I needed some answers from Tombo, but for the time being, he was unable to answer my questions.

"I'll see you at the party," I whispered, and climbed onto my broom. I flew away without another word. I had a tight schedule, I reminded myself. It was quarter after five, and I still had thirty other presents to deliver by ten o'clock. I wanted to believe Nori, I really did, but something told me not to trust her. At least not at the moment. Things were going to change, I thought. Everything between Tombo, Nori, and I were about to drastically take a turn for the worst. Witches had a super sense about people's feelings, and Nori was not being completely honest. Her heart was racing and she wouldn't look me in the eye until she told me she was my friend. That part I believe. I just don't believe there isn't more to the story.

If only Tombo remembered everything that had happened before, things would be so much easier. He wouldn't lie to me; he had too big of a heart and a good conscience to do that. I was becoming too impatient. I wanted him to remember what happened between him and Nori, and I wanted to know soon. Maybe wearing the old, violet dress wasn't such a horrible idea after all.

* * *

**Story 2: A Man in Love**

I arrived at my little attic at the bakery shop and loaded the last of the gifts into my sack. Jiji and Jin jumped onto my broom and were off. The sun was already setting, and time was running out. I had a limited time schedule, and not knowing where I was going was starting to be a problem. "Where's Royal Street?" I asked ever five minutes as we passed a street that wasn't Royal Street. I had only gotten about ten presents delivered, and the sun was setting with every passing moment. It was almost eight o'clock, and I still had to finish preparing for the party.

"Kiki! Right there!" Jiji had found the street I was looking for. I bolted down to the street sign and checked the numbers on each house. With my luck, it was going to be the last house on the block.

"402, 412, 422, 432…" The address was 472, the second to last house on the block. I landed slowly and jumped off the broom. The house was very pretty. They decorated the house and the tree in the front yard with colorful lights. Their yard was covered with snow, and there was a snowman with a carrot nose and a face made from buttons. I ran down the path to the door and rang the bell. I searched for the presents that were to be delivered to the address. There were only two for the house, but I wished they took the rest. I was in no mood to continue delivering. I had gone over my limit, and I still had about twenty presents left to deliver. Surprisingly, it was someone I knew.

"Louis," I said in a questionable tone, "You live here?" He was getting ready for the party when I came. He was having a hard time deciding which tie to wear with his suit.

"Yeah. It's nice to see you again, Kiki," he replied. I hadn't seen much of him since the day at the hospital with Ursula. I handed him the presents and he gratefully took them, laying them down on the table next to the door.

"One is for Ursula; I had a friend from England find me something…special for her." The box was small, fit enough to hold a piece of jewelry. My mind went wild, thinking there was a ring in there for Ursula, that he was going to pop the question to her that night. They had only been a couple for a few months, but they seemed sure. I looked at him with a questioning eye, and he saw right through me. "No! Not that! I…It's just a necklace. My friend owns a jewelry shop, and he told me this one necklace would be perfect for her. I just wanted to get her something to show her…"

"You love her, don't you?" I said. It wasn't really a question. I could see it in his eyes. Every time he was with her, every time he laid his eyes on hers, there was something in the way that he looked at her. From the moment he gave me the letter for her in the bakery, I knew he wanted to get to know her better. I was glad I pushed Ursula into going on that date, because she never would have found out what a great person he was and how much he cared about her.

"Is it that obvious?" He chuckled. I was just happy they found each other. At least Koriko would have one love story that Christmas Eve. When I saw Ursula and Louis together, they could not do anything but smile at each other. Their relationship grew stronger with ever passing moment. I was almost a bit jealous of her.

"Well, I better get going," I said, "I still have a lot of presents to deliver before the party." We said our good-byes and I was off to continue my mission. I was losing time and patience. Seeing people I knew was nice, but being on a tight schedule did not make the visits as pleasant as I hoped they would.

"I still don't get what he sees in her." Jiji said. I groaned at his comment, as I did on many other occasions. He always had something he didn't like about one person or another. Although, I don't believe I remembered him saying anything bad about Tombo. He was actually trying to get me to be more polite to him when I first came to Koriko.

"Can you go five minutes without insulting someone?" I said impatiently. He curled up next to me to hide from the wind. Jin lay next to him, being as quiet as ever. It was a long ride to the next house and every one after that. I must have gone to the same street five times. If only things in the city were simple.

* * *

**Story 3: Jack "Scrooge" Sauer**

The last gift wasn't too hard to find. It was near the bakery, on Chiller Street. I remember Osono telling me not to go down that street. There was only one gift left, and I was thankful for that. It was almost ten o'clock, and I still had to finish getting ready for the party. I didn't want there to be any trouble with the last delivery.

I rang the doorbell to the house. "Bark! Bark! Bark!" I took a step back in fear. Jiji and Jin were not very fond of dogs. Only Jeff, the dog who helped Jiji back on my first delivery trip. But these ones did not seem friendly at all. I had always wanted to own a dog, but with Jiji and Jin, that was not a possibility. The owner's dogs made me realize why it was good I never had a dog before.

"Get away from the door, you mutts!" The owner shouted. He opened the door and stepped outside, making sure the dogs wouldn't come outside. "Now, what can I do fer ya, miss?" He didn't seem all that bad. It was a bet sad, though. I didn't see or hear anyone else at the house, and it seemed like he was going to spend Christmas alone.

"Um, I have a…um…Christmas present for you. I was sent to deliver it to this address." He looked at the gift like it was a mistake. It wasn't big, just a small box with a card on top. I motioned for him to take it, but all he did was cross his arms.

"Are ya sure ya don't have the wrong address, miss?" The man asked me. He didn't even motion to take it. He was acting like a grumpy old man, almost like a scrooge. He had a hunched back and his gray hair only surrounded the sides of his head. It was obvious that he was alone for Christmas that year.

"It says to a Mr. Jack Sauer?" I said, and he grunted. "It's from a Mrs. Abigail Kingsley." That name was familiar to him; I could see it by the way he responded to her name.

"Just give me that!" He forcefully took the gift and walked back to his house. I felt a bit of remorse for him. Being alone on Christmas was never a blissful time. I had a big party filled with friends to go to, and Jack was going to be all alone at home. I wanted to help him, make him feel more in high spirits, and, of course, I try to help everyone with their problems.

"Wait, Mr. Sauer!" I said. He stopped, but dared not to look at me. "My friend is having a Christmas party, it's at the bakery. Please come. You'll enjoy yourself, trust me." For the longest time, we just stood there; his back to me and me hoping he'll turn around and say yes. But instead of a yes, I was greeted with a yelling.

"I have more important things to do than waste my night at a dumb party! And no, I would not enjoy myself, because no one would want me there! Good night, miss." He began walking back to his house, but I was too persistent. I didn't want to let him go that easily.

"Mr. Sauer, it's going to be a lot of fun, trust me! There'll be dancing and games and presents! And I want you to go." But all I received was a grunt and the dogs' barking as he entered his house. I sighed. All I wanted was for him to be a bit happier.

"Kiki, not everyone is as high spirited as you are," Jiji said, "some people just don't like Christmas." I knew he was trying to cheer me up, but it didn't work. I just wanted Jack to enjoy himself and have a little fun. I walked away. Osono's bakery wasn't too far from where I was, so there was no need to fly there. It was dark and cold on Chiller Street, the snowfall never ending. I was frightened by Chiller Street. I found it best to get on my broom and just take the short ride back. It would have been smart two minutes ago, too. But where I was then was in the middle of a gang's territory. And I was alone, only with the company of Jiji and Jin.

**So we have the friend who seems to be lying about her relationship with Tombo, the man who is patiently waiting to tell the woman he loves he wishes to marry her, and the scrooge who doesn't want any company on Christmas Eve. And lastly, we have the girl who is going to need help on her last mission of the night: escaping from a gang. Thanks to all my readers and to all my reviewers! I won't stop this until it's over!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	18. Chapter 18: A Christmas Nightmare

**Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I thought I would put this up on the first day of the year! I wasn't sure if Kiki was like witches I've seen on TV and in movies, but I gave her some cool witch powers. Just letting you know so you're not confused later. And...I have to be honest with you. I'm pretty sure most if not ALL of you will be pretty ticked off with the ending to this. I'm not saying anything else, just know this ending is one none of you would have suspected...**

**Chapter 18: A Christmas Nightmare **

It wasn't long before the gang had found out I was wandering around in their territory, and they were prepared to get me out using any means possible. "Well, look at what we got here, Honda," I heard a voice in the dark, but no one was in sight. The light poles were flickering, but I saw neither person nor shadow.

"My, she's kind of pretty, don't ya think, Sato?" Another voice said. One man came out from an alley, and the other came from one across from him. I was shivering, and it wasn't from the cold.

"Who…Who are you?" I said. Fear was written all over my face, and they could see it. I couldn't see any way out. One was behind me, and the other in front. Three more came out from their hiding places, and I was being guarded from every corner.

"We're the Rebels of Koriko," one said. He was leaning against one of the poles on the sidewalk. I frowned at his smile.

"Not a very original name," I replied. Some got angry at my comment, but Jiji and Jin growled at them. It was nice having their support, but the gang just laughed at them.

"Oh, and I guess these two are your heroes tonight?" one said, still laughing at Jiji and Jin. "These cats are as scrawny as you are!"

"I am _not_ scrawny!" I shouted.

"Yeah, and neither are we!" Jiji screamed. Only I could hear what he said, though. The one on the pole walked closer to me, eyeing me down, as well as Jiji and Jin.

"I'm the leader of this gang, and if I were you, I'd think twice before saying another malicious comment about us and what we call ourselves." My eyes never left his. He was much too young. He couldn't have been much older than 18. "So, boys, what should we do with this…pretty, young girl?" He gave me a sinister smile, and I returned it with a smack on the head with my broomstick. One of the boys took the broom and another grabbed my hands and put them behind my back. Jiji and Jin growled and tried biting their legs, but there were too many.

"I say we should teach her a lesson about coming to our territory, and remind her never to come back," said the boy holding my hands. They were laughing at my misery, so I did the only sensible thing.

"Help! Someone, help me!" I shouted from the top of my lungs. There wasn't anyone on the sidewalk, and the gang didn't like my shouting. The one holding my hands covered my mouth. I was trapped. That is, until my knight in shining armor came in.

"So, this is what you guys do for fun?" Said a voice. No one knew who it was. It was like before when the gang was hiding from me. But obviously this person was on my side, because the gang was nervous, scared even.

"Who…Who are you?" Said the gang's leader. Now, the fear was in his voice. Out of nowhere, the leader was knocked out cold by a pipe. Everyone turned their attention to the shadowy figure hovering over the unconscious boy.

"Get him!" They shouted. They rushed towards the man, attempting to put him in my situation. Since they weren't smart enough to actually tie me up, I was free, as well as Jiji and Jin. I levitated my broom back to me (which they placed against the pole) and ran towards them. The man was holding them off, but they surrounded him. I used my magic to levitate one of the men into the air. He was screeching like a baby until I dropped him on the cold, hard ground(he didnt die, he's just knocked out). The man easily took on the rest, using their attacks against them. As one tried to punch him, the man bent down and he punched his friend. There was only left, and he was too frightened to continue. He ran off, never looking back. It was completely dark out, and the man's face was unrecognizable. "We sure showed them, right Kiki?"

"What?" I asked in confusion, "How do you know who I am?" The man walked under the pole, and the light clearly showed who he was. And it couldn't have been more perfect. "Tombo?"

"The one and only," he said. I just couldn't help but laugh. He was always my knight in shining armor, whenever I needed him.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. It was odd for anyone to be down here, especially at this hour. He motioned for me to walk with him, and I took the invitation. The street wasn't so dark, now. In fact, the lights weren't flickering the way they were before.

"I had to finish wrapping a present," He said as I noticed the small gift in his hands, "and Aimi had already left. I just went the way I thought would take me to the bakery the fastest." That way was faster, but Tombo didn't know there was gang that ran those streets. It must have slipped my mind, too, since I decided not to fly home.

"Just be sure not go back here at night, you almost got hurt." I sounded like Aimi. I normally wasn't worried about Tombo getting hurt, but with all the recent events, we all had to be careful with Tombo. He had a small cut on his forehead, but it wasn't too serious. I was going to clean it up when we got to Osono's.

"I'll be okay, Kiki," Tombo reassured me, "what were you doing here this late? And why aren't you wearing your normal dress?" I looked at the dark, violet dress I was wearing. I had almost forgotten I was wearing it.

"Oh, this," I said, "my other one was…unable to be worn. But I had a gift to deliver here, and obviously I found it smart to walk home. I invited the man to Osono's party."

"In the gang?" He asked in a bemused tone.

"No, no!" I replied, "The man I delivered the gift to. I don't know, he was alone and I thought him coming would…cheer him up a bit." I really hoped he would come, but by the looks of things he wasn't going to come. Jiji was actually right about something; not everyone was as high spirited as I was.

"Oh, what did he say?" Tombo asked. I wasn't in the mood to discuss the situation, but it was Tombo. I told him practically everything.

"He yelled at me saying it would be a waste of his time or something of the sort." I was just glad we were almost to the bakery. The stone path now led straight there.

"Well, not everyone is as high spirited as you are, Kiki," Tombo said. We made it to the door. We both were reluctant to open it and join everyone inside. But why? Why couldn't Tombo twist the knob?

"That's what Jiji said!" I told him. I looked at Jiji and he shook his head. "Kiki, look at him! Don't you see it?" I was confused for a second, until I looked directly into his eyes. Those beautiful, chocolate brown eyes staring back at me. It reminded me of when we were at the hospital, how I told him the story of us. Where he leaned closer to me, closer…

"Tombo! Kiki!" And of course, on the other side of the door was Aimi. It was definitely like the last time. I backed away putting my hand to my lips. Tombo's face grew red as he walked in, me following close behind. She shut the door and walked us upstairs, where all the other guests were. I left my broom in the kitchen downstairs. The house was completely rearranged, making room for more people. Osono and her husband weren't in sight; I assumed they were putting Kimi down to rest for the night. Ursula and Louis were sitting on the couch, and I saw her wearing the necklace he bought for her. They looked really happy together.

It made me think of Tombo and me. One day, we could be as happy as they were. Holding hands, never being without the other, kissing…it was like a fairytale. In fact, it was more like a dream, because that was exactly what it was. I was convinced Tombo would be like this for the rest of his life, never knowing what the past 21 years of his life were like. There was no cure for him, and nothing any of us did seemed to work.

There were a couple times something would trigger in his brain and he would remember us saying something or even just a glimpse of a moment would flash by. He remembered the first words I said to him that day I came to Koriko, and he remembered what I looked like as a young teenager. That kept me hoping and praying he would come back.

"Oh, I have to clean that cut on your forehead," I reminded Tombo. We walked to the kitchen, which still had a large mass of people. We made our way to the sink. I took a towel and soaked it in water. I pushed his hair back so I could get a better view of the cut and dabbed it first. He was hesitant at first, but let me continue. It wasn't a bad cut, but it needed to be cleaned.

"There you go," I said. He smiled and thanked me. For quite some time, we just stood there. I put my hands on the counter and tried not to look into Tombo's eyes. I knew if I did, I would try and kiss him again. Luckily, Kazu was there to break the ice.

"Hey, kids!" He had Tombo in a headlock and gave him a noogie. "Wanna join us over there?" We looked to our group of friends, and everyone was there. Lin, Aina, and…Nori. I told her I would see her at the party, and I did. That didn't mean I had to talk to her. I still had a bone to pick with her, and I didn't want to talk unless she confessed what she was hiding.

"Sure," Tombo said. They began walking towards them, and Tombo turned around to me. "Are you coming?" He asked. I didn't want to talk to Nori, at least not yet. She was hiding something from me. Nori didn't want me knowing what happened with her and Tombo at Prom, and I couldn't take her lies anymore, so I made up one of my own.

"Actually, I needed to talk to Osono about something." I lied. He smiled and walked along with Kazu to the group. I wanted to go with them so badly, but I couldn't be with Nori and Tombo together. I'd rather just be with Tombo. Just us two together, no one else. That would be a perfect evening.

Ursula was still with Louis on the couch. They were laughing so loud I could hear them from where I was standing. I smiled at her pleasure. I was happy for her and Louis. They looked so happy. I knew one day he would propose to her. Even though they had only been going out for a couple months, they were perfect for one another. I wasn't sure if she would give him a chance in the beginning, but after the first date things became so simple for them.

I started walking to the rooms in the back to see if Osono was there. I needed a girl to talk to, and Ursula was too busy with Louis. I made my way out of the kitchen when a hand grabbed onto my arm. It was Aimi. She was trying to say something, but I couldn't hear her with all the conversations going on. She pulled me through the kitchen, out the family room and we ended up in the kitchen downstairs, where all the bread was made. No one was there; a perfect time for her to bring up something she had been hiding for a while. And she was dying to bring it up to me.

"Care to explain why you dragged me out of the party?" I asked in a very irritated tone. However, maybe the person I needed to talk about this with was the one person he was the closest with.

"So, how are things with Tombo?" She asked me, raising her eyebrows. I knew what she was talking about, and I couldn't believe she asked me that. She had always known Tombo had a crush on me, but she never mentioned it before. It wasn't until she noticed I started to take a liking towards her little brother did she want to intervene. And now she was intruding in the wrong way.

"Well, with all your interruptions, we're exactly where we've been for the last few weeks." I placed my hands on the counter and sighed. I wanted things to be different between Tombo and me, but with Aimi always cutting it short and with his lost memories, things aren't looking bright for us.

"Okay, I admit the first time at the hospital was an accident. This time, though…" She began biting her nails. She did that when she was guilty of something. I looked at with anger.

"You interrupted us on purpose!" I shouted. She covered my mouth. I had a tendency to talk loud when I was angry. She shushed me and I calmed down for the time being.

"I didn't want him to hurt you!" Was her answer. It didn't make any sense at all. "How would he hurt me?" I asked her. Tombo was polite and gentle, he wouldn't hurt a fly. I didn't understand her reasons. She did know him better than I did, but I knew he had a good heart. Nothing he did would ever hurt me.

"Tombo doesn't remember you," Aimi said, reminding me of Tombo's disability, "So he doesn't remember his feelings for you. I just…Tombo isn't the same person as he was. I don't want you two to rush anything. If you kiss now, everything will change between the two of you."

"But I want there to be a change," I argued, "I want there to be something different between us, something special. I have really deep feelings for him, you should know that better than anyone. I've had these feelings, practically since the day I met him. Why shouldn't I take advantage of them?"

"Because the real Tombo isn't here!" She said, "His true feelings for you are somewhere, but ever since he woke up, he doesn't have the same feelings for you. This is just…impulse." I looked down at my shoes. I didn't want to admit it, but she was right. She was right about something; Tombo wasn't the same. He doesn't have the same feelings for me as he did before.

"I…I know that, Aimi," I confessed, "I just…when he looks at me the way he does, I feel like he's back. I feel like he loves me the way he used to." She put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Everything is going to be okay, Kiki," she told me, "Tombo will remember his past in no time, and then you two will have _a lot_ of catching up to do." She winked at me as she walked back upstairs. I couldn't help but laugh at her last comment.

"I hope you're right, Aimi," I whispered to myself. I knew he was going to remember his past. It was when he would that made me so anxious. What surprised me was that I hadn't had a dream about him since he woke up from his coma. It was strange to think that his soul came into my dreams, but that was what it seemed like to me.

I turned to walk upstairs to join everyone back at the party, but was stopped by Tombo. "Tombo," I said.

"Hey," He said, smiling, "I…uh, I wanted to talk to you. Do you think we can go outside?" It was cold outside and the snow was still falling. Nevertheless, it seemed important. He opened the door and started to walk, and I remembered something about the door.

_The ice, the ice!_

"Tombo, watch out!" I grabbed his arms and pulled him back, but it was too late for me. I slipped and fell on my back, still holding onto Tombo. He landed on top of me, and my back felt worse than ever.

"Oh, crap," I said. I opened my eyes to see Tombo directly on top of me. We just stayed there for what seemed like ages. I smiled and burst into laughter. In a matter of seconds what turned into an almost devastating moment for Tombo turned into a hilarious moment for me. But for some reason, Tombo wasn't standing up. What Aimi said started to make more sense to me. Tombo kept smiling and laughing, and it was nice. But when he looked as though he was about to kiss me again, I stopped him.

"We should go back inside," I said. He stopped halfway and just looked at me. What was a pleasurable moment turned into an uncomfortable moment for Tombo and me, because I told him no this time.

"Um, yeah," he said, standing up, "you should probably lie down. That back of yours needs to be taken care of." He gave me his hand and pulled me up, my arm around his shoulders. I avoided all eye contact with him as he led me to the attic. He opened the door and led me in, laying me down on the bed.

"Are you okay?" Tombo asked me. I laid down on the bed, stretching me back. It was still aching, but by morning it was going to be fine.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I said. He nodded and left for the door. He looked back at me one last time, nodded, and walked out the door.

**I told you! You all hate me now :( But that's cool, I get it. You all want them to have their fairytale ending. Who says I haven't planned this story out completely? I know the ending, you all pretty much know the ending. This phase with Kiki is just so she doesn't make a mistake. He still doesn't remember anything. But answers will be given in the next couple chapters. And sorry if things kind of went too fast. I'm not a pro at writing, and taking things slowly isn't one of my strongest suits. **

**Vampireninja101 - I was thinking the same thing with Alice Kingsley! Thanks for all your reviews and I can't wait to keep reading your Alice in Wonderland fanfic!**

**A & G - Thanks for reviewing all my chapters! It's really nice when I get people who take the time to read and review every chapter! Thank you both so much!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	19. Chapter 19: A Christmas Miracle

**Hi everyone! It feels great to be back and writing! And even better, it was my brithday today! :) So as a gift to myself I decided to work as long as I had to to finish this next chapter! And boy, what a chapter this is! Over 4500 words! I think that's a new record for ALL of my stories! There was a lot ot write about, what with Kiki's previous nightmare. It shouldn't have been a nightmare since they were RIGHT THERE and had the MOMENT OF A LIFETIME, but I had to make this interesting :) It's too early for them, anyways. So, I'm going ot shut up now because this chapter will take A LOOOONG time for you guys to finish (Hopefully)!**

**Chapter 19: A Christmas Miracle**

_I love you Tombo, I love you so much, but…I can't tell you since you're not exactly here. I'm thrilled you're still alive and well, but without the real Tombo here, it's not the same. I can't be in love with someone who doesn't exist anymore._

My dream consisted of me talking to myself, wondering how I was going to explain to Tombo why I didn't kiss him when we were given the perfect opportunity. There was no one to bother us: not Aimi, not Osono, and certainly not Nori. I still hadn't had a full conversation with her that didn't involve me yelling or becoming too emotional. I wanted the disagreement to end, but with no truthful answer, that was hard to ask for.

But that dream…it was almost similar to the ones I had when I first came back to Koriko. The only difference was I was sharing my feelings with myself instead of Tombo, who decided not to pop into my dreams that night or any other night since his awakening. It was easier to talk to him in my dreams because our love was real there. In reality, it wasn't the same. He didn't have the same feelings for me. Like Aimi said, it was just impulse for Tombo to want to kiss me.

_Tombo, you mean everything to me, but if you can't remember who I was, then this won't work. If you don't remember why you feel in love with me in the first place, then it doesn't make sense for me to keep falling for you over and over again. It's not your fault you're unable to recall the events in your past, but without them…everything's changed. I've changed, you don't know how…_

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Came a shout from my bed. It was as loud as a freight train. I suddenly opened my eyes to see little Kimi sitting on top me, shaking my body up and down. My back was still aching from the previous events taken place that night. She was incredibly excited for Christmas. She just couldn't wait to see what presents she received from everyone. "Kiki, get up! Mommy said we can't open presents until _EVERYONE'S_ there, and that includes you!" She got up off of me and looked back. "Hurry, Kiki!" She was so excited for Christmas. She reminded me of my first Christmas in Koriko and how wonderful everything turned out. The snow, the presents, the excitement, the Tombo…

No, he wasn't going to ruin Christmas for me. I was going to enjoy my Christmas with my family. I was going to open presents with Kimi and her parents, and we were all going to have a great time. I was going to enjoy my day without the constant reminder of my missing Tombo.

"Kiki!" That was Osono's voice now. She was asking (no, begging was more like it) me to hurry things along so Kimi would stop whining about her presents. I chuckled and departed from the warmth my bed provided. It took me a while to get up because of my back. The fall hurt it really badly, but it wasn't serious. My white dress was finally washed and cleaned. It was heartbreaking not wearing my old, violet dress, but I knew I couldn't wear that one forever. It was a symbol of a witch in training, which I no longer was anymore. It was nice becoming a master witch earlier than normal witches. At age sixteen, most witches haven't completed the third stage.

There were four stages to becoming a witch. The first stage was discovering your skill. That was usually the easiest stage. The second stage was taking the year-long journey to train. It was more often than not hard to find a city or town without a witch, since only one witch resided there. The third stage was training a witch's special ability. While a witch has a skill, there are many more abilities a witch must master before becoming a master. I learned levitation, mixing potions and other qualities my mother knew and taught me. The fourth and final stage was the witch's test, where a witch tests her skills and sees if she is ready to become resident witch of the town she had chosen for her training.

I didn't know why I hadn't return sooner. I waited four years before returning to Koriko. I had become a master witch at sixteen. I was ready to leave home for good. I had a special connection to Koriko, but also to my parents. I couldn't just abandon them, but I couldn't abandon Tombo and everyone else back in Koriko. If I had left when I should have, my relationship with Tombo would have been completely different.

"Kiki, they're all waiting for you," Jiji said as he jumped onto the windowsill. I was brushing my teeth while brushing my hair. I threw the toothbrush on the table and spit the remnants in the sink. My raven-colored hair was flowing and knot-free, and my white dress was clean again.

"Alright, I'm coming," I said, irritated that I had just woken up five minutes prior and they were all demanding I be there immediately. I grabbed my broom and ran through the door and down the wooden steps. The night before I was there with Tombo, where he almost slipped on the ice patch. Instead, I dragged him out of the way, which turned into my own downfall. While the moment was perfect for us, I knew Aimi was right. I had to stay away from any intimate feelings I had for Tombo. I had to stay away from him.

I opened the door to the bakery and noticed no one was there. I heard whining and crying coming from upstairs, which could only mean Kimi was more impatient than I thought. I left my broom by the door and ran up the stairs to the top floor. The Christmas tree was beautiful with ornaments of different shapes and colors. The star was stunning, shining brighter than anything else in the room.

"I'm here!" I shouted. Osono and her husband were sitting on the couch by the tree. Kimi was sitting on the floor next to the tree, holding all of her presents in her arms. The minute she saw me, she began unwrapping the first gift.

"Yay! I can open my presents!" Kimi cried. I chuckled to myself and sat on the ground next to her. Kimi was so excited to see what she got.

"Kiki, Tombo told us what happened to you last night," Osono said to me as Kimi was busy opening her gifts, "He said you slipped on that ice patch and that you really hurt your back."

"Yeah, but I feel fine. It's nothing serious." I assured her. It was nice to know she cared, but she mentioned "his" name. That was not acceptable to me at the moment. I wanted to stop thinking about him. I wanted to forget my feelings for him. I truly was in love with Tombo, but I couldn't be in love with someone who didn't exist anymore. This Tombo was nothing more than a replacement, I was starting to believe. I was starting to believe he would never come back.

"Kiki, look! It's the dolly I saw at the store last week!" There were many more gifts for Kimi. She reminded me of the joys of Christmas. She received the doll, a board game, a bag of Hershey bars, which was her favorite kind of chocolate, and three stuffed animals. "I'm gonna name the dolly Mandy!" She really loved that doll and wouldn't let her go.

"I'm going to make us some breakfast," Osono said, standing up, "Any preferences?"

"Scrambled eggs!" Kimi said immediately. Osono and I chuckled. She was just like me when I was younger. Kimi was all about having fun and being happy around everyone and anyone. She would have made the perfect witch.

"Kiki, there's one more gift left behind the tree. Can you go get it?" I nodded and she smiled, walking off to the kitchen to fulfill her daughter's demands. I stood up and walked to the tree. Behind it was a long box wrapped in green, white, and red wrapping paper. It was at least my height. It was impossible to tell what it was. Strangely enough, it was for me.

"It says to Kiki, from Osono," I whispered. I just stared at the box, wondering what Osono had gotten me. I wasn't expecting any presents, mainly because Osono and her husband were busy buying for Kimi; I thought they wouldn't have time to buy a gift for me. It was special. I could tell just by holding the box in my arms. It was very long, like a rectangle.

Well, are you going to open it?" Kimi asked me. I looked at her grin and returned it. Osono came out from the kitchen and said, "It's for you, so just open it." She gave me a blissful smile. I turned to the present and observed it. I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I tried shaking the box to get somewhat of an idea, but my mind was vacant. There were a million possibilities as to what Osono had gotten for me. I couldn't wait any longer. I began tearing off the wrapping paper and inside was the rectangular box. I grabbed one end and then the other, taking my time, waiting for God knows what. I lifted the top off and there it was. The most beautiful gift any witch could receive.

"It's a….it's a new broomstick…" I whispered. I lifted the broom from the box and held it in my hands. It was striking. Words couldn't describe how stunning it was to me.

"Osono, you didn't have to do this," I said, "I already have a broomstick."

"You've been using our broom since your accident," Osono replied, "You need your own broomstick." I was ecstatic to be able to use a broom as innovative and elegant as this one. "And I would like to be able to clean the bakery without waiting for you to finish your deliveries." She added. We both laughed at her last comment. She was right, though. I did need a new broomstick after my previous one. When I was looking for Tombo and crashed into the apartments, my broomstick was destroyed. It exploded into a million pieces, and I was forced to use Osono's broom that she used for cleaning. I had been looking for a new broomstick, but none satisfied me the way this one did.

"Thank you, Osono," I said. I got up and gave her a hug. She had been so kind to me ever since my first day in Koriko. So many of the residents in Koriko wanted nothing to do with me, thinking I was probably a troubled teenager. They most likely were scared of me and my powers. Osono, however, took me in like I was family. She treated me like I was her own daughter. Of course, she made me work for my stay, but if business wasn't doing well, she never would have sent me out on the highroad. Osono was my friend, and proved it every day.

"Mommy, I'm starving!" Kimi complained, "Is breakfast ready?" We had completely forgotten about the eggs that she had started to cook.

"Oh no!" Osono screeched. She ran back to the kitchen and found the eggs bursting with flames. She took a wet towel and started hitting the pan with it. I took a glass of water on the counter and poured it over the burning eggs and the flames subsided. Smoke filled the air and clouded the kitchen. In a matter of seconds the fire alarm went off, drenching water everywhere. While Kimi went to protect her gifts, I blew the smoke out. Witches' breath was one of my favorite tricks my mother taught me. In no time, the smoke was out of the house and the water ceased to spray.

"Wow," Kimi said in awe, "I didn't know you could do that!"

"Neither did I," Osono added, "Where did you learn that trick?" I just smiled at their amazement. I never actually showed Osono any of my powers except flying, mainly because that was the only form of magic I could use at the time.

"My mother," I responded, "She taught me a lot of the spells she knew."

"I wanna be a witch, Mommy!" Kimi cried. She took my new broomstick and started pretending to be a witch. I chuckled at her amusement towards my new broom. Kimi would have been a perfect witch with her spirit and warmth.

"Okay, Kimi, how about we try to make these eggs again, hmm?" Osono returned to the stove and Kimi gave me back the broomstick. She took her presents and carried them to her room so she could spend the rest of the day playing with them. Her husband started cleaning all of the wrapping paper, and I wanted to help Osono with the cooking.

Truth be told, I was a terrible cook. I just needed an excuse to talk to someone. I really wanted to talk to her about last night. There were a lot of questions we both had for each other that needed some answers. It would be nice to know what Tombo did after he helped me to the attic.

I handed her some eggs and she cracked them in the pan. They sizzled from the heat and Osono checked them every so often to see when they should be flipped. "So, about last night…" Was how I began the conversation. And she knew exactly where I was getting at.

"Oh, that," She said, not taking a second to think about what I was suggesting, "I was worried about you after Tombo said you slipped on that damn ice patch again. But I was more confused as to why you two were outside in the first place…" She looked into my eyes with a stern look. All I returned was a sigh.

"I thought that's what this was about," she flipped the eggs, and the sizzles returned. She placed the spatula on the counter and turned to face me. "Tombo looked really down when he came back. He and Aimi didn't stay long after that. Care to tell me what happened?"

I placed my hands on the counter behind me and sighed. "We almost kissed," I replied. Her eyes stayed the same, as if she knew. It was evident we had feelings for each other, but we acted similar to friends with benefits. We always made each other comfortable around the other, and everything was peaceful and affectionate. "Twice." I added. Then her eyes grew wider.

"Twice?" She repeated my last comment. I slowly nodded, admitting my misconduct. She turned around, took the spatula and removed the eggs from the pan, laying two on each plate and turned the stove off. Then we returned to the conversation.

"Three if you count the time at the hospital." I reminded myself. She called for Kimi and her husband to get the eggs. As they came in, we went out. She brought me to the bakery's kitchen where we could continue surreptitiously.

"Three times?" She whispered. I nodded, guilty as charged. She put a hand to her forehead and sighed. "And when he was still in the hospital, too?"

"It just happened!" I said, "I mean, it didn't _actually_ happen, but we were there, and I was talking about us, and well…I wanted to."

"Kiki, he was sick. He still is! He doesn't-"

"He doesn't remember who I was, I know," I finished her sentence, "I already had this talk with Aimi." I sat on a stool and put my elbow on the counter. I was beginning to get a headache from talking about Tombo so much.

"Kiki, I know how much you love Tombo. I haven't seen you so determined to be with him since…since the day you left." My eyes opened wide. I remembered that day like it was yesterday. I had finished my training period, and was ready to go home. Everything was completed. Except for one last thing I had to finish with Tombo. "I'm just saying, you can't go around kissing him whenever you get the impulse."

"But it wasn't me! It was Tombo who made the first move!" That was said a little louder than I hoped. Osono looked at me with stunned eyes. She didn't expect for me to say Tombo started everything.

"At the hospital when I told him the story of how we met, he gave me this look. He moved in first, and I followed. Aimi walked in and nothing happened. Then last night when I was attacked by that gang-"

"You were what!" Osono shrieked. All these concealed truths were not coming out as quietly as I had hoped. I grabbed her arm and dragged her to the front of the shop. There it would be harder for our voices to travel.

"Okay, First of all, I probably should have mentioned that earlier, but I didn't see you once last night, so it's not my fault. Secondly, Tombo fought them off for me so everything's fine."

"He attacked them?" It was quieter, but she was still in shock from all I laid on her in the last few minutes.

"We're both still alive, aren't we?" It wasn't a good answer, but it was the only one I could think of. "Anyway, when we made it to the bakery, he gave me this look. I couldn't ignore it, and I didn't want to. Then Aimi barged in and practically forced us in."

"Good for her," Osono said. She was not on my side in this situation. I wasn't on my side. "You know how confused he is right now."

"I know he is, but it felt so right." I replied, "And then when we were outside, it was perfect. Well, almost, except for my back. I pulled him out of the way so he wouldn't get hurt and he landed on top of me. We were there and with no one else; Aimi couldn't interrupt us there. I had my chance…but I told him no." Osono's eyes grew wide and she was rendered speechless.

"You told him no." She repeated. I nodded and sighed. The conversation wasn't turning into a very rewarding one.

"You and Aimi were right; he's only doing this on impulse. He doesn't have true feelings for me." I felt tears prickle in my eyes, a tear rolling down my cheek like a rainstorm about to happen. Osono took me in for a hug and embraced me kindly.

"No, no Kiki," She replied, "He does have feelings for you. They just…aren't as strong as yours. He has no recollection of his real feelings for you as a child. He can see how much you care about him, and that's what is triggering these feelings for you." The tears began to subside, but the damage was done. I was proving to myself and Osono that I was deeply in love with Tombo. Even if he wasn't here, I still loved him. I was falling in love with the new Tombo as well. He was here, and he was as close to Tombo as I could get.

"Um, am I interrupting something?" A man's voice came from the front of the bakery. I didn't even hear the door open. It was supposed to be closed since it was Christmas Day, but this was a person I had to talk to. It was that man I saw yesterday on Chiller Street.

"Mr. Sauer?" I said. He nodded and actually smiled. I didn't think he was a man who smiled often. "Osono, this will only take a minute." She nodded and walked out of the bakery and back upstairs. He walked in and took off his hat. He had a gift in his hands. It was a small box, but that didn't matter.

"I was, um, I was hoping you wouldn't mind that I didn't come to the party last night." I was gone most of the party anyway, so I wouldn't have seen him. I was going to ask Osono if he came, but he pretty much answered my question.

"No, no it's fine. I wasn't feeling well, anyway." I replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," then he got into what he really came here for. "I was, um, I was hoping you could deliver this for me." He motioned for me to take the gift from his hands. Little by little, I moved my hands to take the gift from his hands and grabbed it. "It's for my daughter, Abigail Kingsley. I wanted to repay her for the gift she gave me last night."

"Uh, yeah. I can do that right away." I replied. I was still in shock that he had the courage to bring me the gift himself and apologize.

"Tell her I'm sorry for everything I've done and that I hope we can patch things up." I nodded in response. He smiled again and walked out of the bakery. I stood there for the longest time. Was it real? The gift was in my hands, so it was definitely real. How can one person change like that in such a short amount of time?

I watched him as he left the bakery and walked down to Chiller Street. I was still in shock because of the last couple minutes. Not a day earlier Jack Sauer was yelling at me, telling me Christmas was a waste of his time. Then, all of sudden, the next morning he had a changed heart. He wanted to make up with his daughter. I didn't waste any time. I ran back upstairs and grabbed my new broomstick. It would be brilliant to test out my new broom and see how well it obeys. They take a minimum of five days to break in, so it would help to start early on.

"Osono! I gotta go! Be back in about an hour!" I didn't wait for her to ask any questions about who Jack was and why I was leaving so suddenly. "Jiji! Jin! Come on, we have a delivery!" I ended up in the bakery when Jiji finally came in.

"Jin is with Lilly and his sisters," He told me, "they haven't had much time to be together so I thought he would sit out on this one." I smiled and nodded. It was good for Jin to be social for once. I haven't heard him say a word since we left my hometown. There was something troubling him, I thought.

"That's fine," I replied. We walked outside and I mounted my broom. I took a deep breath, in and out. Wind blew around me and we lifted slowly into the air. We gradually made our way higher and higher until the cars driving past were as small as ants. I had to take things slowly with this broom or things could get out of hand.

"Kiki, are you sure you want to fly on your new broom the day you got it?" Jiji questioned me. I was sure things would be fine, but lately what I thought was right turned out to be a big a mistake.

"We'll be fine; his daughter lives by the docks." I flew north towards the docks. There were no boats out that day. Everyone was inside with their family or going to see them. No one worked on Christmas Day, except me. I was not one to turn down a delivery needing to be sent immediately.

"So why has Jin been so quiet lately?" I asked Jiji out of the blue, "I don't think I've heard him say one word since we came back to Koriko." We flew to where the ocean began and turned right. There were many houses along the coast, but Abigail's was further down, close to where Tombo and I went to see the Dirigible.

"Well," Jiji began, "I don't know how I should tell you this. It's kind of…complicated."

"How complicated?" I asked.

"Well, you see, Jin is…he's not really as fond of Koriko as you and I are."

"How not?" I replied with a perplexed tone, "He gets to see his mother and his sisters whenever he wants now!" They almost never saw each other when we returned back home, and I could tell he was a bit homesick. Now, it looked as though he was homesick for my home.

"The Sato's have a cat named Moe, remember?" The Sato's were good friends of my parents and Moe would come and visit Jiji and Jin often.

"Yeah, I remember them," I replied and he continued. "Well, Jin had become very…open to Moe. They had a connection like you and Tombo in a way." Things were becoming more lucid for me.

"Oh!" I shouted, "I never knew Jin liked Moe! That makes more sense, he misses her."

"A lot," Jiji added. That explained why he wasn't saying anything to me. He was angry we left home and came here away from Moe. I knew what that was like because of Tombo.

"I feel awful now," I whispered to myself. Jiji placed a paw on my shoulder and comforted me.

"It's not your fault; you had to come back. Seeing Tombo again was what you wanted, right?"

"Yes, but not in this state." I was glad he continued to reassure me, making me feel better about myself. It reminded me of the old Jiji and all the things he would say to me when Tombo's friends would make fun of me. It reminded me of all the good times we had.

"Kiki! Right there!" I looked to where his paw was pointing and saw Abigail Kingsley's house. It was a perfect place to reside; right next to ocean, the sun setting directly in front of your house behind the ocean. It was a small cottage, but was the perfect place to live.

I lowered my broom down to the ground and ran to the door. I rang the doorbell and waited patiently for an answer. A young woman answered the door, holding a baby in her arms. She couldn't have been more than thirty years old.

"Hello," she said. One look at my broom and Jiji and she knew exactly who I was. "Hey! Aren't the witch who just came to town after, like, five years?"

"Six, actually," I corrected her. Everyone knew me as the witch who saved the boy on the Dirigible. It was after that that my business became a huge success, since everyone in Koriko knew who I was. "I was sent here to deliver this," I said, handing her the gift, "It's from Jack Sauer, your father." Her eyes grew wide at sound of her father's name.

"My…my father sent me that?" She questioned. I nodded yes, and motioned for her to take it. "He also wanted me to tell you that he's sorry for everything he's done and that he hopes you two can patch things up." I thought I saw a tear slowly fall from her cheek.

"He hasn't said anything like that since Mom died," She whispered.

"You mother is dead?" I repeated. I realized it was an inappropriate question to ask right after I said it, but she didn't seem to mind answering.

"She died on Christmas years ago, and he's been so vulgar ever since." She paused to take the gift and smiled. "Thank you, Kiki." I nodded as she walked back. I felt a bit of warmth in the pit of my stomach. It felt nice helping the family feud end.

"Nice job, Kiki." Jiji said truthfully. He wasn't joking this time at all. He really meant it. If I hadn't talk to Jack the night before, things would still be the same between them. I helped them build a better relationship with one another.

"Let's go home, Jiji," I whispered. I mounted my new broomstick and headed for the bakery, proud of the person I had become.

**Awww, Jack finally patched things up with his daughter! I just had to do that. And the story about Jin: I needed an explanation for why he was being so mute. He really misses Moe. And Kiki and Jiji had a little heart-to-heart conversation back there. No Tombo this time, but we WILL see him next time! Christmas is officially over in Koriko, and a new year awaits them! I would like to thank...**

**Vampireninja101 - I really want them to kiss, too :( but she couldn't, as you said in your review. Thanks for all your reviews!**

**worshipthehat - Hopefully next chapter won't be too much of a cliffhanger for you guys! But I'm glad you love it! Thank you!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	20. Chapter 20: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

**Hello, my Kiki's Delivery Service readers! Finished the next chapter! By the title, I guess you kind of know who we're going to see here. I can't believe I'm on Chapter 20! It doesn't seem that long ago that I started this. But last summer seems pretty far away, huh? I decided to add a few more chapters 1) to spice things up a bit and 2) it seemed to fit when I thought about them. This chapter was alreayd going to be here, but the next two or three were just recently thought of. I should stop talking, right? You all want to get to the story, I know. I'll shut up. Right now. NOW! Bye. :)**

**Chapter 20: He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not**

It had been almost a week since the last time Tombo and I spoke. There wasn't much I could say after turning him down. I just didn't know what to say, really. It was so much simpler when we were kids. We were affectionate, but it wasn't as it is now. Now, showing affection was much more than being around one another or blushing when one compliments the other. There was so much more about love we didn't understand then.

"Kiki, are you alright?" I left my daydream to see Osono standing in front of me from the other side of the counter. I was supposed to be working, but there weren't many customers who came in that day. Everyone was planning for the New Year, as were we. The shop was expected to close a while ago, but Osono wanted to stay open for any late buyers.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." I untied the back of my apron and pulled it off. "I think we should close now. It's almost nine." I took the apron and folded it, placing in the drawer under the counter. I wasn't in the mood to go anywhere for a party. In the last week, we've had nothing but parties, and there was one little problem with the New Years' Eve party I was going to tonight.

Tombo was going to be there.

Not only that, he and his sister were hosting it. So no matter how hard I tried to avoid him, I would have to say "hello" and "goodbye," or even a "thank-you." After Christmas, I was planning on not seeing him for…a while. A week was not long enough for me.

"Kiki, are you sure you want to go?" Osono asked, "I mean, I technically can't force you to go. If you want to stay, that's completely fine with me."

I shook my head in reply. "I'll be fine. And if he brings it up, I'll just tell him the truth." I walked out of the bakery and to the kitchen, where my most recent broomstick was standing with my coat sitting on the tip. I grabbed my coat and buttoned it to stay warm. My gloves and scarf were on the counter and they made me feel so warm inside. Was it odd they reminded me of Tombo and how _he_ always made me feel warm inside?

I shook my head at my thoughts. I couldn't get him off my mind. I took my broomstick in my hands and was ready to depart. I refused to take Osono's car. I was completely against polluting the earth with gas when a witch like me could simply fly on my broom, or even me being a human, I could walk where I needed to go.

"I guess I should get going then," I said. I was hoping Jiji and Jin would come, but they wanted to stay with Lilly. They had been spending so much time together since we came back that I barely saw either of them. I walked out the backdoor and was ready to take off when a small hand grabbed my arm.

"Wait!" She shouted. Kimi stopped me in my tracks. "Mommy, can I go with Kiki this time?" Osono gave me a worrisome look. She was referring to the time I took Tombo back home and how we went a little too fast for her tastes. She didn't want me to do anything to Kimi.

"She'll be fine, Osono," I reassured her, "I won't do anything too risky this time." She sighed and let Kimi go. Kimi jumped up and down, clapping her hands together. She got on the broom as I hovered slightly above the ground. Ever since I came back, Kimi had wanted to go flying with me and to learn how to be a witch like me. I wished she could be a witch; I could train her and teach her the things my mother taught me. Hopefully I'll have a daughter one day who will continue the line of witches.

Kimi climbed on the back of the broom and wrapped her arms around my waist so as to not fall if something bad happens. It was nice when Tombo was on; his arms wrapped around me, his chin resting on my shoulder as we just floated in the air. Everything was…simple. I wanted that simplicity and warm feeling back again, but I wasn't sure if I would ever get that.

"Now Kiki, go straight to Tombo and Aimi's apartment; no sidetracking, okay? And Kimi, you forgot your hat again. And your gloves. And scarf! Geez, girl, you're going to freeze out here! Let me go inside and get them." Osono ran back inside to retrieve her daughter's clothing. Kimi, though, was not very fond that her mother was being so overprotective.

"Kiki, can we just go? I don't need my hat or my gloves or even a scarf! Isn't it, like, five minutes away?" I nodded in response. "Exactly! C'mon, Kiki, let's go!" She was so excited to go flying she didn't care about her mother's worries.

"Kimi, we can't just leave your mother like that! She's getting these things for you so you won't be cold. It's almost below zero out here! I'm in this huge, fuzzy coat and I'm still shivering!"

"Well, I have my nice, cute coat on and I feel fine." I could hear her shivering under her breath. She was freezing, and she didn't want to admit to it. Being a witch, I could see people's feelings. She didn't like her mother's overprotection, but she didn't realize how important that quality in her mother was. Without it, Kimi would be a spoiled brat who got everything she wanted and had no discipline. When she was older, I knew she would understand more about it.

"Kimi, your mom does this because she loves you; I can tell you're cold, so stop trying to fake it." She dropped her jaw in awe and put her hands to her mouth to warm them.

"Ho-how did you know?" Her teeth began chattering, and Osono came out just in time. She handed me Kimi's clothes and I put them on her as she resisted. "No! I'm fine, Kiki!"

"Kimi," I said sternly, "If you don't put these on I won't let you ride on my broom." She looked as if my reply was unfair, but it wasn't. She needed to learn how to take instructions from us.

"Fine." She whined and put the hat and gloves on herself. I wrapped the scarf around her. She acted as though it was strangling her and tried to pull it off.

"Alright, I think you two are good to go," Osono said, "And no tricks this time, Kiki!" I nodded in reply and chuckled. Ever since Kimi was born, she was seriously critical about everything we could do, especially with me being a witch and my ability to fly at extreme heights.

"Ready, Kimi?" I asked. She nodded excitedly, holding on to me tightly. We gradually flew higher and higher until Osono was as small as an ant. Kimi would "ooh" and "ah" at everything we saw. She loved flying just as much as I did. We could see the clock tower from where we flew and the beauty of the city lights at night. It was the coldest night of the year, but I didn't mind it. Flying made all the difference. I only wished he, who loved flying as much as I did, was with me.

"You get to do this every day?" She shouted.

"Pretty much, yeah." I replied, "Most of the time, though, I deliver gifts to people. It becomes hard to balance everything, like work and fun."

"Really?" She replied, "But isn't flying so much fun? It's like…killing two birds with one stone, as Mommy would call it." I chuckled under my breath. Kimi was more intelligent that I thought, being only seven years old.

"Well, I guess you can say that." I replied. Flying was exciting for the most part. Having to be relied on wasn't very rewarding. On Christmas Eve, I had to be at a certain place by a certain time; if not, I would have let down all my customers that night and myself. I didn't want to neglect Osono's party, mainly because he was there. I wasn't fond of others expecting me to be there when they wanted me to.

It was a quiet ride for the most part. Every so often Kimi would "ooh" at the birds that flew next to us as they continued to migrate. Koriko was one of the few places near the south where snow fell, and with the ocean right next to it things were even colder. If Kimi hadn't listened to her mother, she would have been frozen by the time we got to Aimi and Tombo's.

"Ki-Kiki, are we almost th-there?" Her teeth were chattering as she asked her question. I knew Osono didn't want me to take any risks, but I had to get the apartment faster. We were going at a snail's pace, and I needed to fly like the wind.

"Alright, Kimi," I said, "Hold on tight." She squeezed my stomach as she wrapped her arms further so as not to fall off. I leaned in closer to the tip of my broomstick and increased the broom's speed. The buildings went passed us in the blink of an eye. Kimi tightened her grip on me as we flew closer and closer to the clock tower. I hadn't gone this fast since Tombo took a ride. Back then the weather was nicer; it wasn't as cold as it was now. The wind was blowing hard into my face, and I had to squint so it wouldn't be as painful. A few moments later, the apartments were in clear sight. I pulled the broomstick upwards and made a hard stop right before we went headfirst into the apartments.

"Oh! That was a close one!" I shouted. No one was around to hear me, especially not Osono. It would be a little while longer before they got to the party because of all the traffic. I lowered my broomstick until our feet were touching the cold concrete sidewalk. "Come on, let's go inside." I guided Kimi to the door and rang the doorbell.

"That was awesome!" Kimi shouted, "Can we do that again?"

"Oh, never!" I replied, "If your mom finds out I did that just now-"

"Then I won't tell her," Kimi replied. That was easier than I thought, almost too easy. I thought she would have made such a big deal about it, but she was calm and cool. "You just have to do me one little favor." I sighed in regret of my little stunt. I was just waiting for her to blackmail me.

"Oh you little…" I said, clutching my fists together. I heard the doorknob moving; it was Aimi. I was just glad it wasn't Tombo.

"Hey, you two!" She said, giving us a warm welcome, "Come on in! It's freezing out there, isn't it?" We walked in and she took our coats for us, hanging them on the hooks to the right of the door.

"Oh, you have no idea," I replied. I took Kimi's scarf and hat and hung them on the hook with her coat. She took off her gloves and put them in her coat pocket, as did I. I looked around and saw a lot of people I knew; Ursula and Louis were together, as usual. I don't think I ever saw them apart. Wherever one was, the other was right by their side.

There wasn't a lot of room for a huge party, since they lived in a small apartment building. However, that wasn't a bad thing. I wasn't one for huge parties. I liked going to get-togethers with a group of people I liked. Then again, I didn't like everyone at the party. Lo and behold, there was Nori and our group of friends: Kazu, Aina, Lin…and Tombo. I ran to the kitchen pulling Kimi's arm so I wouldn't catch his sight. I thought he had noticed me for a second.

"Kiki, are you alright?" Kimi asked. I nodded as I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought of a whole plan for the rest of the party. I would stay with Kimi in the kitchen until Osono made it. Then, we would make our way back to the living room to join everyone else there and I would sit and talk to Ursula and Louis all night, admiring their relationship while at the same envying it. I didn't see any sign of Osono yet, so I kept conversing with Kimi, or at least she did. "So, back to me not telling Mommy about your trick." She gave me an evil smile. I couldn't refuse anything she had to say. If Osono found out I took her daughter on a dangerous flight, she would take away my broomstick and I would be forced to use the old broom in the bakery again.

"Alright, what do you want, kid?" I asked sternly. Whatever it was, I knew I wasn't going to like. She was so devious, I couldn't believe I hadn't caught on yet.

"Whenever I ask for a ride, you will take me wherever I want without any questions," she began, "and if I ask for another fun ride like that one, you will have to do so." She held all the cards. I sighed as my reply, and she clapped her hands, jumping excitedly.

"Yay! I can't wait for our next ride!" She couldn't contain her excitement. I was going to find a way to get out of this deal I had with her. I had to find something scandalous on her. Her attention then left mine and onto her friends from school who came, Yoshi and Hamano. "Gotta go, Kiki! Have fun!" She ran to her friends and they vanished from my sight, and I was all alone.

Osono hadn't gotten there yet and I had no one to talk to. I had no one to block me from Tombo conversing with me about that night. I didn't know where else to go, so I did the only sensible thing I could think of: I ran to the bathroom. The only one was upstairs, and I had to pass a lot of people to get there, including Tombo. I walked slowly down the hallway to the living room. He wasn't by the door, and I couldn't see him from where I stood. I turned a corner and saw him on the other side of the room. And he spotted me!

I flipped out and ran straight up the stairs without a second glance. I took a left and went into the first door, which was the bathroom. I locked the door and relaxed for a while. Key phrase: for a while.

I was calm for all of two seconds, because the thought of Tombo just raced through my mind. He was there twenty-four seven, and I couldn't get him out. I was beginning to have headaches from all this thinking about him. Why couldn't he have just stayed in my dreams? It would have been easier to tell him my feelings if he actually knew who I was.

I placed my palms on the sink and sighed. What had my life turned into? A race to hide from Tombo for all of eternity? I couldn't do that to him or to myself. My mother once told me that when in a crisis about love, I had to take twenty seconds of bravery and just come out and say everything I was holding back. I didn't know whether to heed or ignore her advice, but I didn't have any time to think straight.

"Hello? Almost done in there?" I had been in the bathroom for almost a half hour when someone came knocking. I had almost forgotten there were others who may actually need to use the bathroom while I just stood there moping about my tragic love story.

"Um, yeah, be right out." I waited about ten seconds before leaving, so as not to be too wary. But this person already knew what I was up to. "Tombo."

"Uh, yeah," he said, looking down at his feet and put his hands in his pockets. He was nervous to talk to me, I could feel his emotions. He wasn't sure what I was going to say, what I was going to do. The last time I was at his house, he had this warm feeling, like without me his life was incomplete. Now, it felt like he could do without me just fine. "Look, I was hoping you had a second to um…talk, maybe?"

"So, I'm guessing you don't have to go to the bathroom?" I said. He chuckled and smiled. Smiling, that was a good start. He wasn't totally angry with me.

"Ha, no, I just needed a way to get you out so we could finally talk about…" He paused where he was. He couldn't bring it up in his own words, so I did with mine.

"Yeah, I think we need to talk about that, too." I replied. Twenty seconds of bravery, twenty seconds. He motioned for me to enter his room, and I followed. I had no idea what I was doing, but I just listened to my mom's advice.

"Look, I know I've been showing you signs that I really like you and it's the truth: I really do. But it's just I can't take not knowing who you are anymore. Are you still Tombo? Did your memory loss change you completely? I can't tell anymore! So if you could-"

"Whoa, easy there!" He said, placing his hands on my shoulders. So strong and sturdy, yet so soft at touch. My mom's advice wasn't helping me so far. I sat on the bed and covered my face, but he wasn't giving up that easily. He sat next to me, hoping to get some answers, answers I didn't know myself. "I just…I wanted to ask you something."

"You want to know why I wouldn't kiss you that night," I said. I knew he was thinking it; we both were. It was the only thing I could think about for the past few days.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a little more personal question," he said, "About me." I lifted my head and stared into his eyes. He was asking me to reveal more of his past to him. As I recalled, the last time I did that I almost kissed him.

"Oh," I replied in shock, "What is it?" He coughed slightly and ran his fingers through his thick, blonde hair. His beautiful, beautiful hair…

"I wanted to know who my first kiss was," Tombo asked. My eyes shot up. His first kiss? This was going to be an interesting story to tell, for the both of us.

"Your…your first kiss?" I repeated. He nodded eagerly. He was keen to know this answer, and the background behind it. I knew the story more than anyone else. I sat up straight and readied myself for his reaction. "It…it was me."

"You?" He repeated. I nodded and sighed. I never actually thought I would have to tell him who his first kiss was, his first love. He told me himself that day that I was the first person he ever loved (mainly because we were only fourteen and fifteen). "Care to enlighten me a little more?"

He was asking me of so much more than he thought. I was digging deeper and deeper into our past, parts I wanted to forget, and parts I wanted to remember until the day I passed away. But that look he gave, that look of perplexity and optimism…I couldn't refuse him. "It was the day I left Koriko. I was going home to show my parents what I had learned during my training here." That day I hadn't the slight idea I wouldn't return for over six years. I didn't know how much was about to change for me, for us. For everyone. "After I had said good-bye to everyone, I realized you weren't there." He sat straight up. He knew enough to make out how powerful our relationship was, and hearing that he wasn't there on the most important day of my life was a mystery to him. "I was in a big hurry and had to meet my parents at a certain time, but I couldn't leave without saying good-bye to you. Well, you were doing what you always did." I stopped, thinking he knew what it was, and when he didn't respond my heart ached even more. "You were working on your bike. Perfecting it and trying to make it fly higher and faster!" I motioned my arms the way he used to show me. I thought it might have triggered something, but he just chuckled at my humor. "Thank God you showed up in time or I would have left without saying farewell. You said you lost all track of time and that somehow you would make it up to me. And that's when you did it. That's when you kissed me." There was a long pause. He was piecing together the events of our last memory together. It was the last memory of the two of us together in person. He had to have remembered something.

"There was a bird," he said. I never mentioned a bird in the story. Where did a bird come from? "A bird came and cawed at us, and you thought it was like Ursula's birds were telling you good-bye." I had completely forgotten that part of the story. It was a miracle; he remembered something I had overlooked.

"Ho…how did you know that?" I asked him. I was more confused that he was. Why was he only remembering certain aspects of his life? Why was he only remembering things about me? "I didn't even remember that, so how could you?"

"Just because I have amnesia doesn't mean everything is gone."

"But how!" I shouted, standing up and walking away. I turned my back to him; I turned my back on him all those years I was gone, and he was now doing the same to me by ignoring my true affections for him. "You didn't remember Aimi was your sister, you didn't remember your parents were dead, and the day you woke up, you didn't remember me!"

"Why are you blaming me for this? I can't help that I don't remember those events of my life! I wish I could remember everything, anything important in my life! I want to remember something about you, something more than just a flash of birds or you saying something mean to me."

"I want that, too, Tombo," I replied, "I want to know if what you said the day I left is still true!" I was starting an argument that was surely going to result in tears later. But I had to know. I had to know the truth.

"What did I say?" Tombo asked. I didn't turn towards him; I couldn't. I couldn't look him in the eye without admitting everything. He touched my shoulders again. He was my coat, my gloves, my scarf. He was the warmth inside of me. "Please, I know this is hard for you to have to tell me things I should know, but it's harder for me to not know who I was. I feel like I was a whole other person! Please, I need your help."

What was I to do? My love was blinding me from my repugnance towards him. "If I tell you, I need to know if you truly mean it. I know you can't remember these things, but if what I tell you still stays true for you now from the time you've come to know the new me, I need to know."

"Anything," Tombo replied, "I'll speak completely honest."

I took a deep breath and relaxed. His answer was going to determine if I stayed or if I ran. His answered would determine if he loved me or not. "After you kissed me, you told me something I would never forget, something I would never _want_ to forget…you told me you loved me." Tombo was taken aback by my words. By his words, actually. I knew it was too good to be true. "You don't have to say anything, I know what you're thinking. I know you don't love me the way you used to."

"No, it's not that," Tombo said, "It's just…we were so young at the time. I…I don't…"

"You just don't love me, that's it," I replied.

"I do have feelings for you, I really do," he said. He was so comforting and so hard to refuse. "I wanted to kiss you on Christmas; that was all me. You backed away. All I want to know is why."

"Because you're not Tombo!" I shouted, "There, I said it! You're not Tombo! At least not the Tombo I knew. The Tombo I knew wouldn't kiss me because he had an impulse. He kissed me because he knew we wouldn't see each other for such a long time. He wanted to be with me every second he could. Tombo wouldn't take advantage of my feelings. He wouldn't-"

"Kiki, I know I'm not the same person I used to be, but I'm still Tombo. I'm still your friend. And this isn't just impulse! That day in the hospital when you told me story of how we first met, I knew there was something special between us, something I was missing. When you push me out, I start forgetting why I'm here."

I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to show him I wasn't pushing him out, but then I'd be lying to myself, and more importantly, Tombo. We couldn't have a relationship based on the present; our past was everything to me. I couldn't let that go, and if he couldn't remember then there was no use in continuing this charade.

"I…I can't do this anymore," I told him, "I can't pretend everything will be okay between us because it's not! I know it's not your fault you can't remember the moments I hold dear to my heart, but without them…I just… I can't be in love with someone who doesn't exist anymore." He raised a hand to my cheek and stared into my eyes. I pushed him away, as I did so many other times.

The door opened, and there she was. Nori. The only other person I did not want to be in the same room in. "Hey," she said, thinking Tombo was alone. Her face dropped at the sight of me, but she continued anyway. "The countdown is going to start soon."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll be staying that long." I replied, not leaving my eyes from Tombo's. His eyes were beginning to red, almost as if he was about to cry. I couldn't stand the sight of him crying over me, so I left. I bumped into Nori as walked out the door, tears streaming from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks like a rainstorm. I ran down the stairs and grabbed my coat and scarf. The gloves and hat were in the coat pocket and I wasted no time in leaving. I grabbed my broomstick and grabbed the doorknob.

"Kiki!" I turned around, and it was Osono. "Wait, you're leaving already?"

"I told you I could handle it, but I couldn't. I'll see you back at home." I opened the door and ran out. It was similar to when I lost my magic and I ran out on her then. I was running away from my feelings, ignoring them. I mounted my broom and flew into the cold wind as the tears flew off my eyes.

**Ugh! Tombo! I know I'm the one writing this, but him and Kiki separating just kills me inside! I'm a sucker for love, don't judge. At least we know more about their past. The day Kiki left was one she would never forget, and one Tombo unwillingly did. Moreover, he told her he loved he, and now he's taking it back. It reminds me a little of The Nanny, if any of you have seen that show, how Mr. Sheffield would always tell Fran he loved her but took it back. Hopefully, Tombo will take back taking it back sooner than Mr. Sheffield did. I hope to get the next chapter up soon! But first thanks to...**

**Vampireninja101 - I had to put in the part where Jack Sauer apologized. I loved writing how the family was coming back together. Thanks for your reviews :)**

**Anabelle ;)**


	21. Chapter 21: The Tiger Bites Back

**Hi guys! I really hate updating later than I should, and I'm sorry :( I'm going on Spring Break soon so I'll have PLENTY of time to write :) I'll make up for lost time, promise. With this chapter, I wanted to flash forward in time, so now it's March instead of January (kinda goes with where we are now). So now I give you the next chapter :)**

**Chapter 21: The Tiger Bites Back**

Two months. I haven't spoken to him in over two months. It was already March and I had barely said two words to him. We saw each other at Kimi's birthday party three weeks ago, but I barely noticed him. I accidentally bumped into him and we apologized, but then it became too uncomfortable for me. I haven't talked to him about New Year's Eve yet, and I would prefer not to.

The snow had finally melted, and there was no chance for another snowfall. The closest we got to snow was a little rain, but nothing heavy. I was glad to be moving on towards spring. It's my favorite season because everything starts to grow back and blossom. It was the season where everything starts fresh after a harsh winter.

The morning shift was always the worst. No one came in on a Friday morning to buy bread. No one came in on any morning to buy. After people were let out of work, normally they came, but the lunch rush was always the busiest.

"Alright Kimi, are you ready?" Osono entered the kitchen with a very excited Kimi behind her. Her first grade class was going on a field trip to the Koriko Zoo. She had been waiting for this trip for months. Osono never took her to zoo because she was too busy at work and planning parties for everyone. Then there was the chore of taking care of Kimi, and that was a full-time job for Osono. When she was a baby, however, I did my part in taking care of her. Osono would work in the bakery while I changed her diaper or put her to sleep. It was good practice for when I become a mother, if I ever became one.

"Totally!" Kimi shouted. She had a bag full of things she most likely didn't need for one day at the zoo. The bag looked as heavy as Ursula's when she came to town. I was beginning to see her come to town more often since she started dating Louis. She was really committed to this relationship; I figured that he would propose to her within the next month or two, maybe sooner.

Kimi carried her camera in one hand and her binoculars in the other, while the bag was resting on her tiny back. I couldn't believe she could carry that much weight. I walked over to them and lifted the bag off of her back. "Hey! What are you doing, Kiki?"

"Just looking," I said. I opened the bag and found pointless objects that were not needed for the trip. It was an afternoon at the zoo, not a week-long camping trip. "Kimi, why do you have a roll of toilet paper in here?" She looked down at her feet, guilty as charged.

"Kimi, you're going to the zoo!" Osono said, "They have bathrooms there."

"Yeah, but what if they run out of toilet paper?" She questioned us. We shook our heads in disappointment as Osono placed the toilet paper on the counter. I rummaged through the bag once more and found her toothbrush, a pillow, and many other futile objects. Osono and I gave her a "What the hell were you thinking" look.

"What if I got lost?" She complained, "I would need those things to sleep or to keep my teeth white!"She smiled big, showing off her pearly whites. She had one of the cleanest mouths I have ever seen, and the dentist thought so, too.

"Kimi, you need a camera to take pictures, money if you want to buy something, and a jacket if it starts to rain. Oh, and your teacher said you need to take notes on the animals you see there." Osono ran upstairs to fetch Kimi a pen and a notebook. Kimi stood there, giving me a disappointing look.

"What?" I said. She was angry that I took everything away. If I hadn't looked through the bag, she would have broken her back for sure.

"I_ need_ those things," Kimi complained. She obviously had never gone to the zoo. I used to go all the time with my mother when I was her age, and I don't recall bringing a pillow.

"No, you don't." I argued, "You'll hurt your back by bringing those things with you."

"I know how to get back at you," Kimi said with a smirk on her face. I gave her a quizzical look, wondering what was scheming inside her small, devious mind. Before I could question her, Osono returned with the things Kimi actually needed. "Mommy!" She started, acting all sweet and innocent. Osono thought of her as her little angel, but I knew her as a devious little girl. "Do you think it would be okay if…Kiki took me to the zoo instead of you?"

"What?" Osono and I both shouted. The condition from New Year's Eve. Kimi had a better memory than I did. I thought she had forgotten about it after that night, since she never asked for a ride. After a month or so, I had completely forgotten about the condition, but Kimi was waiting for the right moment to use it.

"Oh, I don't know, Kimi," Osono said to her. Kimi gave me "the look." First, it began with the slight trickle of tears, slowly forming in her eyes like little rain clouds. Then, when she knew I wouldn't back down, she gave me "the stare." In summary, if I didn't do what she asked, she was going to tell Osono about our ride to the party and have my broom taken away.

"Don't worry, Osono," I said with a big smile on my face, "I'll take good care of Kimi." I wish she could see how Kimi was blackmailing me, but then she would figure out why, and I couldn't risk that happening.

"Well, if it's okay with Kiki, then I guess it'll be fine with me, too." Kimi started jumping and clapping her hands. She reminded me of…me. I was always that content about everything.

"Ready, Kiki?" Kimi said, "We better get to the zoo soon. I want _everyone_ to see me fly down on a witch's broom!" She ran to the backdoor pretending to fly on her own broomstick. While she could be totally malicious, there was the side of her that was kind and exciting.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I whispered. I grabbed my broomstick and headed for the backyard. Kimi was already out there, waiting for me. I noticed Jiji sitting on the windowsill to our bedroom. He needed to get out more often; he was such a lazy cat all he would do was sit in the room or visit Lilly and their children. He needed a day out and this was his day.

"Hey, Jiji!" I shouted. He stopped licking his paw and spotted me waving. "Hey! Come down! We're going out!" He ran down the steps that led away from the attic and met up with his. He still wasn't a big fan of Kimi, but he tolerated her enough to take one short ride.

"Where are we going?" He asked, "Another delivery?"

"Nope," I replied, "We're going to the zoo for a field trip." Jiji stared at me for a second, thinking I was making a joke. When he discovered that I was serious, he began bursting into laughter. I sighed at his remark, since it wasn't that kind. At least Kimi didn't suspect anything, and that was all I needed.

"He said he'll go," I told her. Jiji stopped laughing to see Kimi grab him. He didn't have enough time to escape, and he wouldn't from Kimi's clutches. He hissed at me, but I only ignored him. I didn't need to hear his complaints; he was still going whether he liked it or not.

I mounted the broom and readied myself. Osono waved good-bye as I slowly floated us into the air. I took a deep breath of the spring air. I had been trapped in the bakery most days and was just glad to get out. The birds were flying below us as we soared through the sky. The seagulls returned from their migration and they couldn't have been more beautiful. The clocktower was still the way I had always remembered, beautiful and momentous.

"Alright, Kiki, let's see how fast this thing can go!" Kimi shouted. I would have preferred a nice, peaceful ride to the zoo rather than a race to the finish line. Jiji knew it was a bad idea, too.

"Don't do it, Kiki," He warned me. I wanted to listen to Jiji without breaking Kiki's "requirements," but I couldn't think of any way. I just had to beg her.

"Can we just enjoy the scenery?" I asked her. She shook her head in reply. It was worth a shot to ask.

"No! We have to get there so everyone can see me flying!" She made it seem like she was the witch. I couldn't blame, though. Ever since I returned to Koriko, Kimi has been fascinated by my witchery. I sighed in defeat and told her to hang on tight. I wanted this to end just as much as she wanted it to start.

"Alright, let's go!" I shouted as we went from ten miles per hour to nearly seventy! That was probably the fastest I've ever gone. The buildings passed us by as we flew in-between them to reach our destination, which was still a ways off. The main square was long gone and we now entered the east side of Koriko. The zoo wasn't too far, so I slowed down my broomstick. The entrance was only a few yards away, so I lowered us closer to the ground. Many of Kimi's classmates were there with their moms or older siblings and the teacher was taking attendance.

"Whoa, look up there! It's Kimi!" One of her classmates shouted. All the kids, as well as the parents, stared at the two of us as we descended from the sky. Kimi was waving to her friends like she was a movie star being welcomed by millions of cameras and paparazzi.

"Is this why you dragged me here?" I whispered to her, still putting on a smile, "to make a good impression on your friends?"

"…Maybe…" She said. I was about to protest, but her friends had caught up to us. Kimi jumped off the broom when we were still very high up. Thankfully she was careful and didn't hurt herself too bad.

"Told you not to," Jiji said, rubbing it in. I pouted like I was Kimi's age. He always made fun of me, and it was getting on my nerves now more than ever.

"Kimi, that was awesome!" Yoshi, one of Kimi's best friends, said. Everyone was impressed by our entrance, except for the parents. They found my actions quite immature and reckless. I wasn't a teenager anymore; I knew what I was doing. Most of my older friends didn't understand that, especially Osono and Aimi.

"Alright class, settle down," said Mrs. Watanabe. She was, in fact, the wife of Dr. Eiko Watanabe, the doctor who cared for Tombo when he was in the hospital. When Tombo was sick, when he needed us to be there for him more than ever. I couldn't live without him; I still couldn't. I wanted to be with him more than ever. But he didn't know who I was, so what was the point…

"Kiki, come on!" Kimi shouted. I was lost in another daydream as the class continued to make their way into the zoo. I held onto my broomstick as I followed the group with Jiji close behind. Kimi was excited to see the animals, and she told me she wanted to see _all_ of them. If I had listened, I would have heard Mrs. Watanabe tell us we could walk in groups, but the children must with an adult at all times. I felt respected being considered an adult. Everyone thought of me as this small, happy-go-lucky dimwit, but I was much more than that. I had very responsible duties to fulfill, and one of them was taking care of Kimi.

"Kiki, you keep falling behind!" Kimi shouted. She was at the elephant exhibit with Hamano and Yoshi. I ran towards her. I had to stop the distractions. I had to focus on keeping Kimi safe. That was my number one priority.

"Kiki, are you okay?" Jiji asked. He was now walking next to me on the cold pavement. We made our way to the elephant's exhibit and my first sight was Kimi getting too close for comfort. She was hanging on the bars trying to get a better view.

"Kimi!" I shouted. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down. I couldn't let anything happen to her. Osono trusted me to watch her daughter on this field trip, I was not about to let her down. "Don't scare me like that! You could have gotten hurt!"

"Don't act like Mommy!" Kimi shouted, "I brought you on the field trip because I thought you were cool." At that moment, Kimi and her friends walked away to another exhibit. How could she say something like that to me? Was I turning into an overprotective mom? She wasn't even my daughter and I treated her like she was.

"Kiki, don't worry," Jiji comforted me, "She's a kid. She'll apologize, or at least forget she ever said anything." I nodded in agreement, but I still was in shock that she thought that of me.

"Hey, you hungry?" I asked Jiji. He meowed, giving me the sign that he was indeed. Hamano and Yoshi's mothers told me they would watch her until I came back. We went to the food court and I bought us a pretzel. I couldn't stop thinking about what Kimi said to me. Was I really acting like an overprotective mother?

I took a bite of my pretzel and changed the subject to Tombo. He seemed to have planted himself into my mind and decided not to leave, because no matter how angry I was at him, he would always be there. I examined my surroundings when in the distance, I saw a slender man walking past us. His blonde hair indicated that it was who I thought it was, but to my dismay, it wasn't anyone I had seen before. I sat back and sighed. First Kimi shunning me and now I was seeing Tombo everywhere I went.

Jiji took a bite of the pretzel and noticed my depressing look. No matter how many times we fought, he would always be my best friend. Jiji would always have my back. He knew something was "Kiki, you can tell me what's wrong, you know that."

I sighed at his response. "I know, Jiji, I just…I can't stop thinking about him." We both knew who "him" was. He was the only one I had on my mind. I didn't want to distract myself any more than I already had. I also didn't want the other adults to think I was being a bad guardian for Kimi, so I packed up the rest of the pretzel and we were on our way.

The zoo was larger than the one I had gone to as a child. There were so many species it was hard to imagine so many existed. I spotted Kimi's group in the African Mammals section. They were next to panda exhibit when Jiji and I returned.

"Um, hi Kimi," I said. She gave me an apologetic look, indicating how sorry she was for speaking the way she did to me. She opened her arms for me to embrace and I gladly accepted. At least she was sorry.

"I didn't mean what I said, Kiki," Kimi said, departing from the embrace, "I was angry that you wouldn't let me do what I wanted, and I'm really. Friends again?" I nodded in response, right before I gave her my own terms.

"On one condition." I began, "When I think something is unsafe, you have to listen to me. Okay?" Kimi nodded in response without a second thought. I smiled at her obedience and we left to another exhibit. I was just glad that things were settled between us.

For the longest time, Kimi and her friends wanted to stay in the African Mammals section, mainly because the lions fascinated them the most. However, Kimi's favorite was the giraffe because of how long their necks were. She wanted to get closer, but I warned her not, reminding her of our agreement.

Everything was perfectly fine for the most part. Kimi wasn't climbing on any more cages and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day for the zoo. Mrs. Watanabe couldn't pick a better day for a class field trip. I, however, began to feel like I was having delusions.

As we left the Marine Life section, I could have sworn that Tombo was at the gift shop. When the man turned around, it was someone I had never seen before. Was it because I hadn't seen in so long that I was seeing him everywhere? Or was it just me wishing he was there, looking for me? Either way, my mind was playing tricks on me worse than it ever has.

"Are you seeing him again?" Jiji asked as we walked along the path, following Kimi and her friends. Hamano and Yoshi's mothers were walking behind Jiji and me, boasting about their husbands' successes or how wonderful their children were. I didn't want to be a part of it. I liked to talk to Jiji about the things that troubled me.

"Is that weird?" I asked him, "Is it weird that I'm seeing Tombo everywhere?" Kimi and her friends took a break and were resting on a picnic table with the moms. I sat down next to a tree nearby so I can keep an eye on Kimi while still continue my conversation with Jiji.

"You miss him. I was exactly like that when we left Koriko to go home." Jiji said, "Everywhere I turned I thought I saw Lilly, but it wouldn't be her. Once it was a rabbit; then I knew I was going crazy." I sighed at his last comment, thinking that would happen to me.

"Don't worry, Kiki, you're not going to see a rabbit and think that it's Tombo," Jiji said trying to cheer me up. It worked for the most part, but I was still wondering how far my imagination would go. I didn't want to chase an impractical dream. "Maybe you should talk to him again."

"After I yelled at him the way I did?" I questioned, "He probably wants to stay as far away from me as possible." I looked at how happy Kimi and her friends were. They were playing with their food and feeding the birds with their crumbs. It was nice to see them all enjoying the time they have with each other. I couldn't help but think that one of them would get in a fight with Kimi, resulting in the same situation I'm in with Tombo.

"No he doesn't," Jiji assured me, "You know he loves you."

"To what extent? He doesn't love me the way I love him." I burrowed my face and hid from Jiji. I was done talking about Tombo. He was changing my feelings every moment I thought about him. One minute I would think I was completely in love with him, and then the next I wished I never had feelings for him.

"Kiki!" I looked up and saw Kimi running towards her. "Kiki, we're going to see the tigers! Are you coming?"

I gave her a nice smile and said, "Yeah, I'm coming." I gave her my hand and she helped me up. Kimi ran back to her friends, pulling me along with her. Hamano and Yoshi took Kimi to see the Bengal Tiger exhibit. I found a nice, comfortable bench to sit on close enough to watch the kids while at the same time moping about my failed romance.

"Kiki! Look at the tiger! It's huge!" Kimi shouted. I barely looked up at her as I twiddled my fingers together. What did I do wrong? Was it because I wasn't around for the past six years? I would have save him, maybe, if I was there. If I had thought more about why I had to return then maybe-

"Kiki!" Hamano came running towards me, shouting my name. I looked up to her and all I saw was a petrified Hamano, two adults running to the tiger cages and a terrified Yoshi with them…but no Kimi.

"Kimi?" I whispered.

"She fell in the cage! We told her not to climb on the bars but she did it anyways!" I threw my broomstick on the ground and ran to the cage. I looked down and saw Kimi lying on the ground in the Bengal Tiger's cage. Jiji jumped on the bars and we both stared at what was my worst nightmare. Kimi had dirt all over her body, and it looked like she could barely stand up.

"I'm going down there," I told Jiji.

"What?" He shouted, "Are you crazy? You'll get yourself killed!"

"If I don't Kimi will!" I stared him down and forced him to let me make my decision. I stood on the bars and balanced myself. She just sat there completely helpless. I tried thinking of a plan to land safely, but the bars were too slippery and I fell in.

"Ah!" I shouted as I descended to the ground. I waved my arm to the ground and air blew out, landing me safely on the ground below next to Kimi.

"Kiki," Kimi whispered, "I can't get up."

"I'm going to get you out of here, Kimi," I assured her. I was not going to let Osono down. She trusted me with her daughter, and I had to show her she could trust me. I had to save Kimi.

"Kiki," Kimi whispered. She pointed away from us to a deadly creature moving towards us. The Bengal Tiger had noticed us in the cage, and was starting to move in.

"Don't worry, Kimi, I won't let him hurt you." I wasn't lying. I wouldn't let him touch her. I would risk my own life if Kimi could get out safely. I checked her arms and legs, slightly pressing areas where she might be hurt.

"Ow!" She shrieked. Her left arm was broken, that was for sure. She must have landed on it and the force of her body crushed it. Kimi needed a doctor, and we needed to get out of there as fast as we could.

"Your friends went to get some help, Kimi, everything's is fine." In fact, everything was not fine. I couldn't tell her that the tiger was coming closer to us. He was moving slowly, but his intentions were to get to us before we got out. I didn't know what to do. I was never in a situation where an animal was out for my life. However, Kimi was number one priority. I had to put her safety before mine.

I stood up and steadily walked closer to the Bengal Tiger. He bent down and swayed his tail back and forth. There was a broken branch on the ground next to my foot. If I moved, he would jump. If I stood where I was, he would wait for the right moment. I did the only sensible thing I could think of at the moment: I moved.

His claws came out and slashed the branch that I grabbed. His weight was crushing me, but I had the branch, and that was what saved me. His claws slashed my arm and I was in serious pain. The blood poured down my arm, but I didn't give up. I wouldn't give up on Kimi.

"Kimi!" I heard a shout coming from above. I couldn't see the person's face, but they let down a rope, telling Kimi to grab it. They hadn't seen me underneath the tiger, and Kimi couldn't grab the rope without falling. Her arm was too weak to hold on, and I was in no place to get to her. I was trapped under the tiger, and he was not letting down.

**Kiki's in a bit of jam, don't you think? The title's a little straightforward, I know. And again, I'm truly sorry for not updating sooner. I've had a lot going on, but I'm working on this; don't think I've given up. I can't wait to show you all what I have planned. Thanks for all my readers and to my reviewers! You all keep me writing and I love hearing what you all think. Until next time (which hopefully will be soon). **

**Anabelle ;)**


	22. Chapter 22: A Reason to Believe

**Hi guys! What have you been up to in the last month? I've been working on this, or at least trying to. It was so hard to finish, but I told myself if I didn't finish by tonight, this would never get done. So here we are! I made it extra long for you guys ;) We left off with Kimi and Kiki stuck in the tiger exhibit, am I right? Well, we shall see what happens...**

**Chapter 22: A Reason to Believe**

"Kimi! Grab on!" I was still trapped underneath the tiger. His claws continued slashing at the branch and I held on to it with my life. I had to think of something fast. I could see the rope which was right next to Kimi. I could see her reaching for it, but that would be no use. Her arms were too weak to hold on.

It seemed the man helping Kimi had noticed me, since the tiger wasn't going after her, and had called out for me. "Don't worry! Someone is coming! Just hold off the tiger a little longer!"

"Easy for you to say," I whispered to myself. But he was right; there wasn't anything else I could do but hold the tiger off as long as I could. If his attention was drawn to me, then Kimi would be safe. I couldn't say the same for me, however.

The tiger was growling and becoming furious. His weight against mine was much too heavy for me to bear and I collapsed underneath the branch. One slash and the branch had broken into a million pieces, scattering around the exhibit. My leg was crushed, but thankfully not broken. I just sat there, unable to do anything. The tiger began sniffing me. His breath was rancid. His growl was soft, but treacherous. His teeth rubbing against my ear, and I thought it was the end.

"Get back!" I could hear the words of someone who had entered the exhibit. My sight was vaguely blurred, but I could see the figure of a man holding a gun. One shot and I heard the tiger squeal like a kitten. We were free. We were safe.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The man who had saved our lives was next to me, checking to see if I was breathing. My eyes were beginning to see clearly again. The man was older with gray roots. His hands were feeling my wrists, checking for a pulse. A finger was placed underneath my nose to see if I was breathing. I pushed it away and stood up. I didn't know I had the energy to do so. Adrenaline was pulsing through my veins; I was running towards Kimi on instinct.

"She's alive! Pull them up, Copori!" I was at Kimi's side, checking to see how hurt she was. She was breathing and moving; that was a good sign. I checked her arms again to see which one was broken. "Ah!" Kimi shouted as I pushed down on her left arm. Everything else seemed fine. I held her in my arms as the man from before came to my side.

"You have to get out of here, the tiger is waking up!" He shouted.

"I thought you shot him!"

"With a tranquilizer gun, but he's too tough for the dose I gave him. Grab onto the robe and _get out_!" The man grabbed his tranquilizer gun again and was heading for the tiger. I followed his orders and held onto the robe. The man above was pulling us up. It was taking twice as long because I was there. He couldn't carry the both of us, so I blew air from my hands to lessen the pain. We were above ground and on the pavement.

"Kimi…" I whispered. She was still unconscious. I had to fly to a hospital as quickly as I could. Jiji ran next to me, checking to see how Kimi was doing. "Kiki, I know this isn't the time but…"

"Kiki?" I turned around, panting, out of breath. The man who had pulled us out of the death hole. We stared into each other eyes, not parting for a second. "Kiki…that was you?"

"Tombo, I don't have time for that," I replied. I picked up Kimi and ran to my broomstick, which was thrown next to bench. There was no possible way I could carry Kimi and fly the broomstick.

"Kiki, I called for an ambulance, they'll be here any minute!" Tombo assured me. I looked down at Kimi's face, tired of the current events that had taken place. She was in serious pain, and the pain the tiger had given me had just occurred.

"Ah!" I shouted. I looked down at my arm. The adrenaline I felt had disregarded the claw marks from the tiger. Blood was dripping down my arm. I couldn't fly a broom like this.

"Kiki, you're hurt. Let the ambulance get here!" I held my elbow with my other hand. The cut was closer to my shoulder and it bled out. Tombo tried to ease the pain but he only made it hurt even more. He ripped off a part of his shirt and tied it around the wound, slowly down the blood.

"I'll be fine, but I need you to help me," I said, "I need you to do this for me."

"Anything," he replied, "I'll do anything." He acting more like the Tombo I used to know. I looked to Kimi who was lying on the ground. I was surprised that the ambulance hadn't gotten to the zoo yet. I had to get her to the hospital immediately.

"Hold on to Kimi as I fly to the hospital," I told him, "I can fly us there if someone holds on to her." He didn't seem willing to do what I asked. "Kiki, the ambulance is coming, just-"

"No, Tombo!" I shouted, "I can't just sit here and wait! If I fly fast enough, I can get us there before the ambulance arrives _here_! Please, I'm asking you as a _friend_." I wasn't sure if he would still accept what I was asking. I wasn't even sure we were still friends. In his mind we were because Tombo took Kimi in his arms and nodded. I returned the nod with a smile and mounted my broomstick. Jiji jumped onto my shoulder as Tombo carefully held on to Kimi. I made sure everyone was safe before taking off. One of his arms held onto Kimi while the other wrapped around me. I didn't want there to be any discomfort from this, so I tried to ignore his movements. It was so hard not to feel a warm sensation.

The wind blew around as I slowly lifted us into the air. I could only fly with one arm. The other I had to check carefully. Tombo did a nice thing ripping his shirt for my arm, but I needed a doctor's care. We flew higher and higher until I could see the hospital.

"What happened?" Tombo said as I increased our speed. We were still a ways off from the hospital, and it would be a while before we landed, even at the speed I was going at.

"What?"

"How did you two fall in the tiger's exhibit?" He replied more clearly.

"I don't know; it all happened so fast. I was just sitting on the bench and Hamano and Yoshi came and said she fell in."

"Then how did _you_ fall in?"

"I was trying to save her!" I shouted. A flock of geese were flying in our way. I pulled up as we were only inches away from them, saving us from a collision. "Why were you there?"

"Why was I there?" He repeated, "I was there with…" He paused midsentence. I gave a noticeable groan, indicating my irritation with that answer. He was with her. "Kiki, I don't understand why you won't talk to her. Me, I understand. But what did she ever do?"

I couldn't look at him. I attempted to stay focused on flying, but with him talking about Nori it was hard to concentrate. I hadn't talked to her since New Year's Eve either, and he was starting to question why. "Doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. It has something to do with-"

"Just forget about it! Let me fly this broom!" I shouted. The hospital was in clear view and I was relieved to end our conversation. I sped down to the front doors of the hospital. I didn't even bother stopping outside; I flew right through the doors. There were a few shocked faces, but that didn't concern me. I landed on the ground and let Tombo carry Kimi to a nurse who was nearby.

"She fell into one of the animal exhibits at the zoo," Tombo said. The nurse motioned for him to follow her. They went down the long hallway and entered one the rooms. Another nurse walked up to me and studied the piece of cloth wrapped around my arm. It caught her attention because it was soaked in blood.

"May I?" She asked. I nodded in response. There were too many people in the lobby, so we found it best to go to one of the rooms. She undid the piece of cloth.

"Ah, that hurts," I said. She carefully removed the piece of cloth that Tombo had given to me. The nurse laid it on the counter and examined the wound more thoroughly. It didn't look so well from where I was sitting. The opening couldn't even be seen due to the amount of blood surrounding it. I was beginning to feel slightly lightheaded, but I held on as long as I could.

And then a thought occurred to me. Osono was completely unaware of what happened at the zoo. Unless a friend had called the bakery, I doubted she knew what happened to her daughter.

"Osono…we need to tell Osono about Kimi…" I whispered. Tombo had now entered the room and had heard what I said.

"I had the zoo telephone her at the bakery; she should be here any minute." I breathed a sigh of relief. At least Osono knew. And now that she knew, I was going to find myself in a heap of trouble. Kimi shouldn't have forced me to go. If Osono had gone, she would have warned Kimi not to stand on the railing when she did. Due to my confusion about Tombo, Kimi was hurt. Her arm was badly injured, and it was my fault. It was my fault she fell in the exhibit…it was my fault Tombo doesn't remember me in the first place. Everything was my fault.

The nurse took a towel and doused it with hydro peroxide to clean the wound. It stung at first touch, but my skin adapted to the new healing method. The blood surrounding the wound had transferred to the towel and the cut marks were visible. Three slashes diagonally crossed my upper arm.

"Is it infected?" I asked. The last thing I needed was an infected arm. The nurse smiled and shook her head.

"No, you'll be fine," She told me. "I just need you to see Doctor Watanabe and he'll give you some pills so your arm doesn't become infected." I smiled back. She bandaged my arm with gauze and then wrapped a piece of cloth around it. I thanked her for her help.

"You'll be fine as long as you take the pills he gives you," The nurse told me before walking out. I waved goodbye with my good arm. Tombo rested his hand on my shoulder in comfort, but I pushed it aside.

"I'm okay, really," I told him, not looking into his eyes. He walked around to face me and shot me an irritated look.

"How long is this going to go on?" He asked, "Are you going to spend the rest of your life not talking to me?" I didn't want to get into a conversation where I had to yell at him for something he couldn't control. It would be too painful for the both of us.

"I'm talking now, aren't I?" I replied. Before he could say another word, I saw Osono and her husband walk by my room.

"Osono!" I shouted after her. Seconds later, she entered my room. Her eyes showed distress and worry. I was afraid of what would come next. I imagined a furious mother yelling at me for letting her daughter do something as dim-witted as that, or a friend who put their trust in me and after one stupid mistake wouldn't be trusted again.

"Kiki, how is she? Is Kimi okay?" Questions flooded out as her worry grew. And then she noticed my bandage. "Kiki, what happened to you? Did you fall in, too?"

"I didn't necessarily _fall_ in," I explained. I told her how I fell, but tried to jump, into the exhibit to save Kimi. I also told her how I held off the tiger so it wouldn't sense Kimi's presence. When I finished, Osono didn't yell at me or shun me out. Instead, she embraced me.

"Thank you," Osono whispered. I was taken back when she didn't scold me. I wrapped my good arm around her neck in response. "I don't know what would've happen if you hadn't been there."

"Um, Miss Kiki?" I turned to the nurse in the doorway. She was dressed in her long, white gown and clipboard. "Doctor Watanabe is ready to see you." I nodded in response as she left the doorway.

Seconds later the doctor had entered the room with his clipboard and stethoscope. He was writing notes as he entered before turning his attention to us. "Ah, it's nice to see you again. Well, I'm sure you would rather be anywhere else."

I gave a little laugh. "Ha, I guess you could say that." I turned our attention to my wound that seemed to be feeling better, thanks to the nurse. "Will I be okay? The nurse said I wouldn't be infected, but I'd much rather hear it from you."

Doctor Watanabe smiled in response. "Yes, you'll be fine as long as you take these pills." He took a bottle of pills from his pocket and handed them to me. I thanked him for everything. "Be sure to take two a day, in the morning and at night."

"Can we see Kimi now?" Osono asked, "I mean, is she okay? How badly hurt is she?"

"Kimi had a massive fall. She suffered a slight concussion, but she seems to be responding fine." I dared myself not to look at Tombo. His concussion didn't end as well as Kimi's. He knew what I was thinking when my body became stiff. I was unable to look him in the eye. "She has a sprained ankle and her left arm is broken. I will need her to stay overnight so if she…" His eyes left Osono's and laid on Tombo's. With a sigh, he motioned for Osono to follow him. She did as she was told, leaving me with Tombo.

The room was quiet for a moment. The only sound came from an air vent on the ceiling. I was seated directly beneath it, giving me a cold chill. I drew a circle with my index finger around the wound in boredom. Why wasn't he saying anything? Was he just staring at me, waiting for me to start the conversation? Or was he thinking of what _he_ would say?

I opened my mouth, waiting for words to come pouring out. But what could I say? What should I say? It wasn't my fault; it wasn't even his fault. It was just the situation we were put in. In different circumstances, I could see how our lives would have played out. I would talk to him every day, kiss him every day even. I would fly on my broomstick and he on his bike-plane. Just the look we gave each other as we defied gravity would prove our love for one another.

However, this was reality. Tombo was ignorant to his surroundings and the person he used to be. He has been a quick student in learning the things he used, such as family and friends, but some things didn't come as fast to him as they should. It wasn't the same; I couldn't be with someone who didn't know anything about who I was.

"I…" I didn't want to start a proper conversation with him. I wanted to get out of the room. The walls were closing in on me, and I didn't know how much longer I could stay there. "I… think I'll check up on Kimi." Without a second thought, I ran out of the room, closing the door behind me. I didn't move; I stood in the doorway, holding onto the doorknob in case he came out. I had to find a way to resolve this, and fast.

I walked the few steps it took to Kimi's room. Doctor Watanabe and Osono were already there with her husband and Kimi. Kimi was awake, lying on the hospital bed. She looked nothing like a girl who was almost attacked by a vicious tiger. She was happy, excited even. She couldn't wait to tell her friends how the witch of Koriko had saved her life.

"Kiki came right in after me! She saved me! It was awesome!" Osono and her husband couldn't help but laugh at their daughter's comments. Osono began tearing up from where I was standing. Kimi was too ignorant and childish to understand what could have happened if the situation had turned out differently.

"And then Tombo saved us! Right Tombo?" We turned around and to see the blonde walking through the door. He smiled and nodded slightly. "He was like a superhero!" Kimi was speaking so highly of Tombo and me. She didn't realize how lucky she was.

"Well, you sure are a very lucky girl, Kimi," Doctor Watanabe said, "But for now I think you deserve a good rest." Kimi complained, saying she wasn't tired and how she actually wanted to return to the zoo.

"We'll be back here when you wake up, Kimi," I said, holding her hand, "I promise." She smiled and nodded in response. I gave her a heartening smile back. I was just glad nothing terrible happened to her.

Doctor Watanabe led us out of Kimi's room and closed the door so she could rest. Osono and her husband went to the cafeteria for a snack, leaving Tombo with me. Osono knew she was leaving me with him; she purposely left so I could have a chance to make up with him.

Thankfully, Doctor Watanabe came to my rescue before Tombo could say anything. "Copori, I would like to talk to you about your current situation. Would you step into my office for a moment?" He gestured towards a door across from Kimi's room. Reluctantly, Tombo nodded and followed the doctor to his office. Doctor Watanabe opened the office door and motioned for Tombo to step in. as Tombo walked in, he gave one last glance before departing into his office.

A moment passed and I couldn't help myself. I desperately wanted to be in there. I wished I could be a fly on the wall, listening in on their conversation. I would be able to hear Tombo's thoughts on him and his life at the moment and…me.

_"My mother did teach me a spell that might help," _I thought to myself. It was a spell that my used on me as child. She would press her ear to my door and close her eyes. After reciting the spell, she was able to see what was in the room. my mother was able to stop me from plotting my childish schemes. She was able to see my movements and hear exactly what I was saying as if I was saying it to her.

I searched the hallway for any nurses or visitors; fortunately I was on my own in the lonely hallway. It was the perfect opportunity to hear his feelings. I pressed my right ear to the door and whispered the spell my mother had taught me.

I closed my eyes and suddenly, the office was in clear view. Doctor Watanabe was sitting in a chair behind his desk, while Tombo had taken a seat across from him. The office was quite dull with some plaques hanging on the light brown walls. He had a couple of pictures of his wife and children on his desk, but it was mostly filled with files and papers of patients he's had. He was beginning the conversation with how his new life was working.

"It was hard at first, settling in," Tombo began, "But after a while I began learning my relationship with everyone." Doctor Watanabe was writing notes on a yellow notepad of the information given from Tombo.

"Do you feel any memories coming back?" Doctor Watanabe asked, "Even the slightest flashback or thought?" Tombo twiddled his fingers and stared at feet, as if they would give him the answer.

"The only time I find a sense of belonging is when…" He cleared his throat before continuing with his answer. Why was it so hard for him to admit this? It wasn't like he was saying them to me, or at least he didn't think he was. "…when I'm with Kiki." Doctor Watanabe nodded and jotted down what he said.

"You only have this feeling around her?" Doctor Watanabe asked.

"Well, being with Aimi and in our apartment, I do sometimes remember something, but it's nothing like when I'm with Kiki. I _really _remember something. It's not just a flash of being in the living room with Aimi, handing her a cup of hot chocolate – when I'm with Kiki, I'll remember an entire moment. I remembered the day we met, I remembered what I said! I remembered the day we kissed, how passionate I felt even at such a young age as that. I knew she was the one even then, and now I'm trying to figure out if she still is now." He slouched his shoulders and rubbed his hand against his forehead. This was hurting him just as much as it was hurting me.

"I see…" Doctor Watanabe said. He tried keeping up with Tombo's fast pace, but he only managed to write a few notes. "Well, as teenagers, you both were very close. I remember seeing my children, who were your age, spending time with both of you. I remember them telling me how head over heels you were in love with her." Doctor Watanabe chuckled, but only a slight smile came from Tombo's face. It filled me with a certain sensation that urged me to run into the office and kiss him. I held back my feelings just for that moment, but the sensation wouldn't go away; it never would.

"I know, everyone keeps_ telling_ me we were so close. But I don't want people to tell me who I was, I want to_ know_ who I was!" At this sense of rage, Tombo stood up furiously. I had never seen him show so much anger towards anything. His amnesia was seriously beginning to hurt him.

"Copori, I understand the stress you're under, trying to fit the pieces together, but it won't happen overnight. I've had patients who've recovered their memories within days, but most take time. Sometimes they never come back, but you can't let that ruin what you have now…"

"It already has!" He shouted. It was so loud I didn't need my mother's spell to hear it. "Kiki can't even look at me without remembering I'm not who I used to be! It kills me seeing her so depressed and I don't know why! We were good friends when I first came out of my coma, and when we almost kissed…I just, I didn't know what had come over. I felt that kissing her was right; it was _supposed_ to happen. Being with her just feels right. But with my amnesia, she can't be around me. _I_ don't want to be around me! I just want to return to the way everything used to be. I want to know who the real Tombo is." Tombo returned to his seat in the chair, his eyes watering. Doctor Watanabe went to comfort him, reassuring him that everything would be fine.

"I want you to talk to her and ask her to accept you as you currently are. She can't keep shunning you out. I'm sure she hasn't left the hospital, so I want you to find her and-" That was all I needed to hear. I opened my eyes and stood up. I ran down the hall to the exit of the hospital.

"Shit," I whispered. My broomstick; it was still in the hospital room where the nurse took care of me. I ran back down the hallway passing nurses with vacant gurneys. "Excuse me!" I shouted as I passed each one. The door to the room was on my left. I entered and it was still there.

"Got ya," I whispered. I walked out and closed the door.

"Kiki!" I froze in my tracks. Tombo. I cursed under my breath. I had to ignore him; I couldn't talk to him. Not now, not ever. He had to figure this out, but I couldn't help him. It was too painful to tell him the things he should already know.

I pretended like I didn't hear him and walked towards the exit. He was persistent, I gave him that. "Kiki, wait! I have to talk to you. I could hear his pace quickening, so I sprinted. He mimicked my moves as I passed nurses and patients to reach my destination. The exit wasn't too far from where I was; only a few more feet.

I walked out of the hospital and mounted my broomstick. I hadn't realized that tears streamed down my cheeks as I descended into the air. That was all it seemed I did nowadays; cry and mope about what could have been.

"Kiki, stop!" He shouted. His hand grabbed my foot and he intervened in my departure. I had no choice but to land. As my feet rested on the ground, I turned my face from his. I couldn't look into his eyes. "Will you please listen to me?"

"No," I whispered. It was loud enough for him to hear without me having to tell him to his face. "No I won't listen."

"Well I'm going to say what I need to, whether you're listening or not." He was determined to keep me here while I was determined to get out at all costs. I walked away, but he wouldn't allow me to. Tombo ran in front me, blocking my exit. "Why can't you accept what I'm going through? Everyone else has, why not you?"

"Move or I'll make you." This time I looked into his eyes; I looked at him with anger and frustration. He stared me down, obviously not letting down. I didn't want it to come to this, but it did. I waved my arm and threw him out of my way. I was about to mount my broom when it was snatched from right under me.

"Give. Me. Back. My. Broom." I was done with him. Tombo took the broom and held it in front of him. He held it with both of his arms shoulder width apart.

"Listen to me or I'll break it." I gasped in response. He was going too far with this.

"This is why I won't listen, Tombo!" I shouted. I pointed at him the way he was. "This is not you! The Tombo I know would _not _break the most important thing to me! The Tombo _I_ know wouldn't make me tell him things he should already know! Now give it back." I held out my hand for him to give me the broom. His face dropped, as he knew I was right. he handed me the broom and I snatched it from his grip. As I mounted it, he whispered something only audible to me. "I just want answers."

I knew he wanted answers; we all did. I sighed and waited a moment before leaving. "Ursula once told me I had to look inside of me to find my inspiration for flying. It was you, Tombo. You're my inspiration. You gave me a reason to believe in flying, now give me a reason to believe we have a chance." I ascended to the sky, leaving a more confused Tombo than ever before.

**Kiki has just been so hurt from him it's hard to accept this. :( And poor Tombo has no control over what's happened. I hope you all liked it, and I still have 7 chapters left for this, so I won't be done till May. :) More storylines, more conflict, more drama! And a slight reminder that reviews fill me with joy and make me happier :) Thank you guys!**

**Anabelle ;)**


	23. Chapter 23: Lost in Confusion

**Ugh! Okay, so I'm going to give you my schedule for the past two weeks: School, play practice, dinner, homework, bed. School, play practice, dinner, homework, bed, etc. MY LIFE IS CRAZYYY! The only writing I finished was Chapter 1 of my (I'm going to be cocky here) bestseller novel when I become a famous, published author. I sent it to my teacher as an assignment and she LOVED IT! When you guys see Anabelle (last name), you'll know who she is ;) **

**Back to this story now! I gave you guys a "special" chapter. It's always Kiki's side of the story, why don't we have a little insight of what Tombo is thinking? I'm a genius! :) Now, I'll shut up now and leave you to it! Please review and there's something else I wanna mention after this :) **

**Chapter 23: Lost in Confusion**

**Tombo's POV**

What had I done? I was not acting like myself. Or at least the person everyone thought I was. Kiki was afraid of what I would do. Based on her previous knowledge of my past, she never imagined I would do something like that to her. It showed how much I knew about my past.

Walking home from the hospital gave me time to think. I only had serious memories from the moment I awoke in the hospital to now, and that wasn't much to go from. These people who seemed to know me knew more about my past than I did.

Was I really that important to her? I wasn't sure exactly what I did that made her care about me so much. Then again, I wasn't sure of anything lately. I only wanted to remember the Tombo everyone knew. I wasn't him; I wasn't anyone.

The Tombo everyone knew was long gone. It was like I had transformed into a whole other person. I wanted desperately to know the Tombo everyone knew. I wanted to recapture the precious moments they cling to. And Kiki wasn't helping in any way.

She was with me from the start, helping me remember and being there for me, but time passed and she pulled away. I tried regaining her trust, but without my memories, things just weren't the same.

The town was quiet that night. Not many people were walking along the streets at this hour. The sun was beginning to set. Any memories? None decided to point me in the right direction. Everything I remembered reflected on Kiki…everything. There wasn't one flash or memory that didn't involve Kiki.

Was that supposed to mean anything? Was she just that important to me? I knew she loved me, I knew _I_ loved her, but everything changed once…

I didn't want to think about it. All I wanted at the moment was to sit down and have a nice dinner with my sister. That's all I could do, anyway. I didn't know where else to go to.

The clocktower was just up ahead. It looked very nice as the sun shone against it. Nothing? I knew I had some memories of that momentous building, most likely with Kiki by my side. I just wasn't myself anymore. I hadn't been since the moment I awoke. The last thing that connects me to the previous Tombo was the accident.

I remembered the sunset just as it was now…and my friends. Obviously the recreation of the bike-plane was something significant, because everyone was excited for me. From the moment I entered the plane until the minute I hit the rocks, I hadn't a care in the whole world. The only thing I wanted more than that was for Kiki to be flying by my side.

Aimi's apartment was just up ahead. It had been a long day, and all I wanted more was to sit down and relax after a stressful day. I didn't even tell Nori what happened yet. She was probably worried about me. I would tell her what happened in the morning, or according to Nori, the minute I walked into my apartment.

I opened the door and there she was, sitting on the couch next to Aimi. Aimi was patting her back as if someone had died. I closed the door and they noticed my presence, bringing smiles to their worried faces.

"Tombo!" Nori shouted. She left the couch and embraced me. Again, my relationship with Nori seemed much more than what everyone had told me. But, of course, there wasn't any way for me to discover that. "Tombo, I thought something had happened to you!"

"I'm fine, Nori, it's Kimi you should have been worried about." She left the embrace and stared at me with confusion.

"Kimi? What happened to Kimi?" She asked. Aimi stood up and came closer to hear the conversation.

"Her class went to the zoo and she fell into one of the exhibits," He waited for their gasps and questions to subside before continuing, "If it weren't for Kiki, I don't think she would have come out alive."

"Kiki was there, too?" Aimi asked. I nodded in response. "Did you talk to her?"

"Um, yeah. Not how I had hoped." I wasn't comfortable talking about Kiki in front of Nori. It didn't feel right to talk about her with Nori in the room, so I changed the subject.

"Thanks for coming, Nori, but I'm okay. Really." She smiled and with and okay, she returned to her apartment.

As for Aimi and me, we began to set the table for dinner. She had made a simple London broil with two green vegetables. She told me I used to hate vegetables, but I didn't mind them now. I must have been too stubborn to event try one.

It was a quiet dinner at first, just the two of us at the table eating quietly. The only time we looked each other in the eye was when we asked to pass the salt or the green beans or anything on the table.

Was I scaring her? I would look up every so often and see Aimi face. She only stared at her plate, not daring to look me in the eye. I wanted to remember, I wanted to have true relationships with these people. I began the conversation, something I never did.

"So, how was your day?" I asked, taking another bite of the London broil. I didn't have to look at Aimi to see the shock in her eyes. Nonetheless, she still answered my question.

"Um, oh it was a fine day. Lots of people at the bank today," She replied. "How about you? Did things go okay with Kimi?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, she's at the hospital and they wanted her to stay overnight, but they said she was getting better."

"Oh, that…that's good." Another silence. At least it was better than nothing. However, I wondered how quiet dinner would be if we really spoke what was on our minds. Which was my first mistake.

"I'm in love with Kiki, aren't I?" I asked, pretending as if it was a normal question. I could sense her shock at my question, and she couldn't believe I asked her such a thing.

"I'm sorry, Tombo, come again?" She asked.

"I'm supposed to be in love with Kiki, right?" This time I looked her in the eye. I felt like a criminal being interrogated. The look she gave me was no pleasant.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked. Aimi acted calm, but her words came out like a crow pecking its victim. I swallowed hard, making sure I didn't say the wrong thing.

"All I mean is that in the few months that I've been awake, I've noticed a certain…bond between Kiki and me. And the way she treats me is enough to know how much she cares about me. It's true though, isn't it? I was in love with Kiki."

"But how does that define who you are now?" She asked. I was stunned. She always encouraged me to go after what I wanted; she told me to go back to college after my accident, and now I'll be graduating soon. Ever since I awoke from my fragile state, she's encouraged me to chase my dreams, and now that I'm wondering if Kiki falls into that group, she's denying it.

"It doesn't. All I'm saying is that-"

"No! All _I'm_ saying is that you can't let Kiki tell you what to be!" Aimi shouted as the knife went down on the table with a loud _bang!_ She stood up and crossed her arms, waiting for an answer; an answer I didn't know. Kiki wasn't telling me to be anything – I was beginning to see how further our relationship should be.

"Who ever said she told me to feel this way? I don't even know if I do! And why are you taking this so personally?" She looked into my eyes with fury. She had no part in my relationship with Kiki, so why was she taking it so personally?

"I know she's making you feel this way; who else would?"

"Why do you hate Kiki? What did she ever do to you? I've never heard you speak so lowly of her!" I stood up and shoved the chair in. I was just so furious at her.

"I don't hate Kiki! I just think she's too much of a child! When she first came here it was cute, but she's almost twenty-one! There's a time in one's life where they have to learn to grow up!"

"She is very grown up! She was the one who brought Kimi to the hospital! She risked her life to save her today! Kiki saved _my_ life once!" My head was hurting. Was it a memory? I don't remember any time when she literally saved my life. I just said it without thinking. Aimi found what I said rather interesting.

"You remember that?" She asked. I rubbed my forehead and returned to my seat. So it did mean something; I just couldn't put the pieces together.

"No, I just…I just felt it." Aimi looked at me, and I could see the tears forming in her eyes. When she realized what was happening, she quickly ran out of the dining room. I could hear her stomping the stairs and the slamming of her bedroom door. I just sat there in disbelief. She didn't even tell me.

I took the dishes and began to wash them so she would have less work to do. What was it, I thought to myself. What was it that Kiki did to save my life? What did I do to put her in that position to save me? All I knew was that if it wasn't for Kiki, my life would have ended years before this.

Another question that haunted me was how Aimi could just sit there while I was in the state that I was. How could she live with me every day, tell me she loves me and send me out into the world like nothing ever happened? We eat at the same time and watch the save television shows; we see the same people every day. That's what my life consisted of – repetition and lack of excitement.

But when I'm with Kiki, everything changes. My life is full of exhilaration. She makes the days worthwhile. When I see her, all I think of is how she makes me…me. She's the only one I remember, even if they are only certain memories.

And Aimi….? I couldn't remember much about Aimi. She told me the tragedy of our parents, the happy times we had together, and the reason I'm so intrigued by flying. I couldn't even rekindle that flame for flying. I found the idea interesting, but why take the risk?

I heard the sound of sniffles and screams. Was I really that hard to deal with? How could it hurt her this much that I don't remember anything? It killed me every day living with someone I barely knew, but I guess that was exactly how she felt. She barely knew who I was anymore; I didn't know who I was anymore.

I set the rest of the dishes in the sink and took the courageous move to go upstairs and talk to her. I walked up the stairs, eyeing the pictures as I went. They never sparked any memory. I saw a picture of Aimi and me on playground, us with Nori and Kazu, and another with our parents. Somewhere in the collage of pictures, I saw one with Kiki and me. She was flying on her broom, me on my plane. That time, there was no memory.

I walked up to Aimi's door and knocked. She didn't answer me, so I slowly opened the door. She was sitting on her bed, looking out the window. I walked in and closed the door. She didn't move a muscle.

"What do you want?" She asked. I inched closer and closer, hoping not to upset her any more than I already had. I moved my hand to touch her shoulder in comfort, but pulled back at the last second. I didn't know what I was doing; I just wanted things to work out.

"I'm doing my best," I replied. It was the only thing I could say truthfully. I wasn't going to lie like I did my first day awake. I was trying at least. "Aimi, I know it's hard for you to accept me this way, but it's hard enough for me. I'm living with a complete stranger." That was too harsh, I thought. She'd known me her whole life, and me calling her a complete stranger made all those years seemed wasted.

"What I meant was I can't remember who you are to me other than you're my sister and I love you," I continued, "And it's not because I know I should love you; it's because of who you've been to me since I awoke. You've taken care of me and given me new memories. And those are with me forever." I took that opportunity to approach her, which she took willingly. Her tears seemed to have subsided for the moment, but the remnants were covering her face. I sat next to her and she embraced me.

"I'm sorry, Tombo," she said, "I know you're trying, it's just hard to live with someone who can't remember who his own sister is."

"I know, and I'll do everything I can to remember," I replied. I kissed her hair and left the embrace, looking her in the eye. "I promise, I will remember the Tombo everyone does."

**So a little remembrance of the Drigible, but we won't tell Tombo about that yet (Shhh, it's a secret!) He'll remember it eventually, right? I wish I knew...oh, yeah, I'm writing this! Duh! Now, the thing I wanted to mention. I've got a few fanfic ideas, but there's two for this one I wanna do. If any of you have seen Les Misérables, I would LOVEEEEEE you if you voted in my poll for which story idea I should do. That would be nice. And reviews for this chapter. Definitely reviews...**

**Anabelle ;)**


	24. Chapter 24: Out in the Woods

**...No excuse for this being as late as it is. But it's here and once school is over, I will update like CRAZY! Only one more week! :) **

**Chapter 24: Out in the Woods**

The previous day left me with some unpleasant memories. With a near death experience for Kimi, as well as myself, ending with a broken trust with the one person I always confided in. How much he had changed from his kind-hearted ways. He had turned into someone I didn't even want to be friends with. Maybe that's how it was supposed to be…

"Alright Kimi, come on," Osono walked into the bakery holding Kimi's hand. While she went to bring Kimi home, I stayed at the bakery and tended to any customers who stopped by. Kimi had a cast around her arm, but she was still full of energy. She smiled as she ran in. Osono tried her best to calm her daughter down, but Kimi was too energetic for her.

"Kiki!" She shouted as I received a warm welcome. She wrapped her good arm around my neck and embraced me. Kimi acted as if the incident never happened. She had a way of making the worst memories disappear.

"Hi Kimi," I said, "How are you feeling?"

"Better than ever!" She shouted as she stood up and raised her good arm, "I didn't feel a thing!"

"Alright Kimi, let's go lie you down in your bed." Osono said. She went to grab her arm, but Kimi ran behind me.

"No! I'm not tired!" Kimi said, "I want to play with Jiji and Jin!" I turned to see the two black cats walk in, and at the sound of their names coming from Kimi they bolted out. Osono inched closer to Kimi, persuading her to go to bed.

"No! I had plenty of rest at the hospital" Kimi shouted.

"But you still need to get your strength," I told her, "I think you should go to bed."

"Like you thought Tombo should go to bed when he-" I gave Osono a rude glare that said not to mention his name or else. She got the message. "Uh, never mind."

"Good answer," I told her. She took Kimi's good arm and dragged her upstairs to a restless sleep. It was already half past noon and I wanted to be anywhere other than the bakery. It was like a prison some days. I needed a day to just fly and think about…current situations. I was getting ready to go to the back when the bell to the door rang. Another customer. I wasn't in any mood to take anyone's order, but for the sake of Osono's bakery, I put a smile on my face and turned around.

"Hey, girl!" If I wasn't behind a counter, I would have received a hug from Ursula. She had her ways of popping in unexpectedly. But it wasn't the same Ursula that I used to know. Her hair was not in her usual ponytail, but instead it laid down her shoulders. She had more hair than I expected.

"Hi!" I said. I ran around the counter to hug her, as well as to call her out on her new look. "So, what's all I this?" I asked, gesturing to her body. Instead of her usual T-shirt, she was now wearing a nice, elegant blouse with her capri jeans. Her shoes were more suited for town instead of the forest. "Is that…make-up?" I asked, observing her face more thoroughly. She blushed and hid her face from me.

"Just a little," She replied, "Just bring out my natural color." She had the slightest amount of blush that made her cheeks a soft pink and her eye shadow brought out the color of her eyes. She looked like a completely different person, yet she was still herself.

"Is this because of Louis?" I asked her, showing no ignorance. We both knew the answer to that.

"Maybe…" She whispered, and we burst into laughter. It was obviously that she had fallen head over heels for Louis. And I was the person who encouraged her to go on that date in the first place. I felt like Cupid on a broomstick. "I don't know, I just…I feel confident to wear these things around him."

"But he better not change who you really are," I warned her, "I still want to see you painting and talking to birds!"

"Don't worry! He actually likes that side of me better than I do! I just had to get some new clothing because of the places he takes me! We went to that restaurant, Janina's, on our second date and I felt like a complete fool wearing my shorts and T-shirt! And don't get me started with the boots!" We continued laughing off her embarrassing moments with Louis. It was nice hearing a love story that was actually coming true for someone. It was nice change from the feelings I've had to ignore and protect.

"Well, just don't get too carried away," I reminded her. I went back behind the counter and sat in the chair. I stared at the countertop and imagined my life with Tombo. By this time, if he had not been in that accident, I would have bet we'd be engaged. He probably would have done it the day I returned. We'd be so happy together, the two of us. We'd be as happy as Ursula and Louis. I imagined Louis was preparing to ask her for her hand very soon. If only Tombo and I were as lucky as them…

"Hello? Kiki…Kiki!"

"Wha…huh?" I awoke from my thoughts to a very confused Ursula. She was hunched over on the counter waving her hand in front of me. "Sorry, I was just…never mind." I stood up and walked to the back of the bakery. I knew she would follow me, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about any customers barging into our conversation.

"Alright, what's the problem?" She asked. I placed both hands on the table and just stared into oblivion. What was the problem? The fact that I couldn't have Tombo the way I wanted him? That it broke my heart every time I saw him to know I was nothing but a stranger? Or was it that I couldn't even be around him knowing he couldn't appreciate the time we spent together as much as I did? Maybe it was all the above, but I knew my problem was Tombo. I felt tears trickle down my cheeks, and I began to weep.

"Kiki," Ursula whispered. She walked up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort. I cried into her shoulder as the tears multiplied. It just wasn't fair; not to me, and certainly not to Tombo.

"I just want him back…" I whispered. That was all I wanted. I only wanted to wake up each morning knowing that Tombo would be at the bakery only to see me; that we would be with each other every waking moment. I just wanted something to go my way.

"I know you do," Ursula told me, "It'll take some time, but he'll remember."

"A little time?" I said, raising my voice, "It's been five months! He's not going to remember, at least not until…" I shut my mouth after I said that. I walked to the door and opened it, but Ursula's hand reached over and shut the door.

"Until what?" She asked. I stayed quiet. I had only few thoughts about this, but wasn't sure if it was the right decision. I sat down in the doorway and covered my face. She bent down to my height and stroked my long, raven hair. "Hey! I've got an idea! Why don't you come to cabin?" I lifted my head and wiped away a tear. It wasn't a crazy idea. It may just be the thing to keep my mind from Tombo. "Yeah! I mean, when was the last time you stayed the night?"

"Almost seven years, I believe," I replied. Ursula stood up and held her hand for me to grab.

"Then it's settled you'll spend the night at my cabin! I doubt Osono would mind you missing one day of work." Right after she said that, Osono came down the stairs.

"Well, I finally settled Kimi down for a nap," Osono said as she descended the staircase. She noticed me sitting on the ground, my face all red from my earlier incident. "Kiki, what happened? Ursula, is she okay?"

"She's fine," Ursula said. She gestured to her hand and I accepted it. She helped me up and I wiped my eyes clean, erasing the misery I had just felt. "In fact, she just agreed to spend the night at my cabin. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"No! I think it's a great idea! Kiki could use some time off." Osono said, "I'll mind the store while you're gone."

"Thanks, Osono!" I said, embracing her. I knew a little time away from everyone would help clear my mind. It worked the last time I went to Ursula's; maybe it'll do the same this time…

* * *

"Come on, slow poke!" We had walked for hours. Ursula somehow thought I was capable of walking such long distances, but I only get this far on my broomstick, which I so carelessly left back at Osono's. I didn't know how Ursula did it every time she went to town.

"I'm coming!" I shouted. With her nice clothes, it must have been harder for her to keep going, but she was still doing better than I was. My dress was slowing me down. While it was a very pretty dress, it was not suited for walking in the woods.

"We're almost there! It's just passed the lake!" She realized I wasn't gaining speed, so Ursula dropped her bag and leaned against a tree, waiting for me. When I caught up, we continued the walk.

"So, I was thinking when we got to the cabin we could…" Her voice trailed on as my mind trailed away. I thought about the future and what it had in store for me. Did I belong with Tombo? Did I belong with someone else, or some_where_ else? He was the only thing my mind could think of. I didn't care about anything else; he had entered my mind and I couldn't escape the thoughts. I had escaped the dreams, but that was when he had awakened.

And that got me thinking…the day he woke up was the last time I ever had a dream about him. Could it have been that while he was asleep, he was awake in my dreams?

"Hey, Kiki! Did you hear a word I just said?" I snapped out of my train of thought and looked at Ursula. She had her arms on her hips with her eyes staring at me, waiting for an answer.

"Um, yeah, something about when we get to your cabin?" I said. She sighed. "Sorry, I was just-"

"Kiki, stop putting all this pressure on yourself. That's why you're here. You need to let go and enjoy yourself. You'll have time to think about him when you get back." I nodded and followed her passed a couple more trees and there it was.

Her cabin was just as I remembered. The wooden planks and walls and ceiling…everything wood. Then there were the birds who stayed perched up on her rooftop, waiting to model for her. I hadn't seen anything new from Ursula, but no doubt it had something to do with the birds. We walked to the cabin and she unlocked the door. The inside was more chaotic than I remembered. Empty canvases at empty easels, Paint brushes in cups filled with colored water…anything you could find she had it scattered around her house somewhere.

"Yeah, it's a little messy. Haven't had time to clean it up in a while," She said, heading for the closet. She searched for a painting shirt and her normal shorts as I looked around. Her dining table had papers with sketches. Only this time they weren't of birds – they were of Louis. Sketches of his face from all points of view, sketches of his eyes – all of Louis.

"Looks like you've got a new model," I told her, holding up one of her sketches. The second she saw the sketch, Ursula began to blush. She turned away to change as I continued to look at her drawings. They weren't bad; I was intrigued at the detail she put in some of them. He may have only sold art, but Louis was very talented at showing emotion…and she was very talented at capturing it.

She came out of the other room wearing her regular shorts and T-shirt. She was ready to paint. Ursula organized her cabin and told me to set up two easels and two cups of water. Did she think I was going to paint? I hadn't painted in the longest time. I didn't even remember the last time I picked up a paintbrush.

"That's what we're doing? Painting? Can't I just watch you sketch the birds or model for you again?" I was not the best artist when it came to painting. Ursula had to train me for months before I could actually draw something decent.

"Yes, painting! And this will help you, I promise! Whenever I'm down or lowly, I paint. You've been pretty dejected, lately."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," I said. I placed a canvas on one easel and wanted to just sit there and watch her paint. It was helpless – when Ursula got an idea, she wouldn't stop until she got her way. "Fine, I'll paint." Like a younger version of me, she jumped up and down clapping with joy. I only smiled at her amusement.

* * *

"So, how is this going to work?" I asked as I sat in my chair like a statue. The pencil was in the same position as it was five minutes ago. Inspiration seemed to flood Ursula's mind, because she was already working on her outline. It was hard to tell what she was sketching exactly, but no doubt it had something to do with Louis. She had her sketches of him next to her and she continued looking from one to the other and then back to the canvas.

As for me, however, I was stuck staring at a blank canvas waiting for some sort of "inspiration" to pop into my head. What was there to draw? I didn't have the ability to think of something inspiring like Ursula did. The moment she laid her eyes on that canvas, she had an exact image of what she would paint.

"Ursula, how did you become so good at this?" I asked her. She stopped moving her pencil for a moment and took a second to think about her answer. I observed her thinking as she moved the pencil up and down in her hand.

"I don't know," She said, "I never took a class. I just…I saw this one painting and was completely mesmerized by it. I wanted to be able to paint something just like, so I bought an easel, a canvas, two paintbrushes, and a couple different colors. I haven't stopped expanded since. I now have over twenty different styles of paintbrushes, five easels, and a hundred different colors."

"Where do you get your inspiration?" I asked. She smiled and looked at me.

"I get it from the people around me. The first painting you saw at my cabin was because I met you. Of course, the birds come in every once in a while, but my friends and family inspire me the most." She took her pencil and began sketching again, leaving me to my own drawing. It was still a white canvas, but I knew something would hit me.

Ursula said she was inspired by the people in her life. I could draw something about the bakery and how much I love working with Osono and her family. I could draw something about my parents. I hadn't seen them since I left for Koriko, and I missed them terribly. They were my parents, after all - they raised me. Without them, I wouldn't be the person I was today.

And then there was Tombo. That was the reason she brought me out here. I was to take my mind off of him for the day. But what if her intensions were to bring me here to express my feelings on a canvas? What if that was how I would deal with it? It seemed to be a good enough solution. It would help me figure out my feelings and my thoughts.

"Worth a shot," I whispered. I grabbed my pencil and closed my eyes. I envisioned all the good times with Tombo: sitting on the beach, flying in the air together…and then the Dirigible came into view. It wasn't one of the best moments we were together, but it was an important one.

"Any ideas yet?" Ursula asked, not once taking her eyes off of her masterpiece. In just a few, short minutes she had managed to sketch almost half of the final painting. I opened my eyes and stared at the blank canvas that didn't seem so empty anymore. It had a full painting on it, and all I had to do was draw it out.

"Yeah, I think so." I replied, and my pencil hit the canvas, never leaving.

* * *

The sun began to set by the time we started painting. At that moment, both had a clear view of what our paintings were about. Ursula's was very intricate. She had to describe what it was about to me.

"The flower petals will be red, because they are the petals of a red rose. Red roses are a symbol of love, so I had them scattered around. The scattering of the rose petals shows confusion – if the petals were together, they would show union and a coming together."

"Is this how you view your relationship with Louis?" I asked her. She sighed and looked at her feet.

"Let me finish," she replied. I allowed her to continue, but I wanted a full explanation for her reasons. She pointed to the center – two pairs of eyes looking away from each other and two pairs of hands slowing moving towards each other. If it wasn't a painting, you would think the hands were literally moving, both getting close enough to touch, but still not there. "The eyes are a window to the soul, as some say, and I believe that people can enter someone's soul through love. They enter the soul through the heart, since the heart is the center of the body. So the eyes looking away are a sign of questioning: they do not know if they are ready to enter each other's soul. But the hands…the hands are different." She touches that part of the painting with her fingertips. This painting is very important to her.

"The hands are a sign of togetherness. When the hands meet, they are connected in love. That's why there is a slight separation – as with the eyes, they aren't ready for this connection."

"So you're saying you're not ready to take the next step with Louis?" I asked. Ursula's eyes stayed focused on the drawing and sighed. "Why not? He's perfect for you! I don't see any reason for you not to marry him."

"Marry?" She shot out, now looking at me, "Who said anything about getting married?"

"Well, it's bound to happen to eventually, don't you think?" I replied. She stared into oblivion and contemplated what I had just spoken. "Ursula, he's in love with you! You can't stop a man from proposing! If I were you, I'd think about your answer…and soon." She sat in her stool and stared at the painting-to-be. She knew it was coming up – she just didn't want it to.

"How about we start preparing for dinner?" She suggested. She didn't even wait for an answer. Ursula walked to the stove and started the fire. I returned to my drawing and stared at its empty color. It was going to be beautiful.

"So how about telling me about yours?" She asked. We had settled down for dinner when she asked me the question. We were eating spaghetti with meatballs. She bought her sauce from a friend who came from Sicily. He had the best sauce anyone Italian chef could produce.

"What about mine?" I asked. I was enthralled by the spaghetti. I had never had it the way she made it.

"Your painting," Ursula clearly stated. I stopped twirling my fork and stared at the plate of spaghetti. "Come on, I told you what mine was about, and I never tell anyone what any of my paintings are about."

"Not even Louis?" I asked.

"No one." She said with pride, "It leaves the audience guessing. I just felt like I could tell you since we're such good friends, and it's your fault I'm in this."

"Who said love was a bad thing?" I asked. She smiled as she twirled her fork.

"I never said it was bad, I just think it's rushed. Now tell me!" She stared at me with determination. I was not about to get out of this one.

"Ugh, fine." I said in defeat. She clapped her hands in a very childish way and took me to the painting. It was partially done, but it wouldn't be done for a long time. I probably didn't have enough time to finish it.

"Okay, start here." Ursula said. She pointed to the circle. I don't know how I came up with a circle, but surrounding the main subject was an incomplete circle. It was a golden color, but I hadn't completely finished painting it.

"Why didn't you want to look at the main subject?" I asked.

"All good artists know that the main subject is _not_ the main subject. It's what builds up the main subject that matters most." I smiled at her philosophical quote. It was true – and this was a good example. "Now, why is the circle incomplete? That has to mean something."

"It does. It has that golden touch to it because it is a wedding band. It's broken because… well, because of my relationship with Tombo. It's been severed."

"By that wing?" A wing slashed where the wedding band was flawed. I nodded in response and continued my explanation.

"Yes, it's…it's the wing from his bike-plane." I had no other words to say. It spoke for itself, really. The accident was keeping me from being with Tombo.

"I see," She said, "Care to go on?" I swallowed hard and nodded. In the center, chains bound around the wedding band and intertwined each other.

"It represents the struggle from the wedding band. I understand how Tombo is feeling. He feels trapped and alone, and sometimes I feel that way when I can't have a straight conversation with him. I can't say, 'Remember when…' or "Remember the time we…' It's just…the chains show my struggle – our struggle – with the accident." Ursula put a hand on my shoulder in comfort.

"I know," She told me, "It's just going to take some time."

"Ursula, I'm telling you, when Louis proposes, you have to accept. I don't want you to live in guilt of not being with the person you love. I don't want you to feel like there was something you could have done, or should have done. Don't live in regret like I am." She wrapped her arms around me in an embrace and I followed. It seemed lately all I had done was crying and hugging. At least I had friends beside me.

"The thing I mentioned earlier, about him not remember until something?" I said. She looked at me and nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that later. I wasn't sure what you meant."

"I meant that if he ever does remember, then it'll be after I'm gone."

"Well, I mean there isn't a clear chance of that. He's a year older than you and men do tend to die at an earlier age than-"

"Ursula, that's not what I meant by 'gone,'" I interrupted, "I mean that…for the past couple days I've been thinking about leaving."

"Leaving Koriko?" She asked. I nodded in response. "Well, when would you be back? A week? A month?"

"If I leave, I don't think I'll ever come back." Ursula looked at me, eyes opened wide. I nodded at her shocked face, but then she seemed to understand my reasons. It was too hard to be here when the person I loved wasn't here with me.

"It's not my decision," She replied, "I can't tell you how to live your life. If you want to leave, it has to be your own judgment, not anyone else's." I nodded and sat down at the stool. I wasn't that hungry anymore. I just wanted to finish the painting. Once it was complete, my answer would follow.

**So, little change up there! Kiki leaving Koriko?! WHat...? Well, we shall have to see what happens next! :) (reviews would be nice...just a thought) :P**

**Anabelle ;)**


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